Journalists discuss financial services, Mizzi, Schembri and authorities with PANA Committee

Journalists Matthew Vella and Daphne Caruana Galizia yesterday held a discussion with members of the EU Parliament’s Pana Committee, who are currently in Malta, and said that while discussions began on Minister Konrad Mizzi and OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri, the scope then widened.

Daphne Caruana Galizia said that the starting point for the discussion was the Panama Papers; however, she said that this expanded into a wider discussion about the weaknesses of Maltese institutions, the investigative authorities and how such a situation can develop and be allowed to go on without any redress from the authorities, as well as why Minister Konrad Mizzi, Chief of Staff Keith Schembri and the Prime Minister are still in office.

“It is because the Maltese institutions are so weak and cannot deal with the problem created. They were designed to be weak and were weakened further by having every single person in charge of an investigative authority replaced in March 2013 or after.”

She also said that the MEPs care about the lack of a resignation by Minister Mizzi and Keith Schembri, “and they do not understand how this has been allowed to go on.”

“We don’t need to find money and bank accounts. The fact they set up companies in Panama believing they wouldn’t be discovered is a clear sign of guilt and the only reason to do that is if you have corrupt intent.”

Journalist Matthew Vella said that the committee spoke about Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri as well as the role of Nexia BT; “however, MEPs were very interested in our financial services system, in our taxation system which provides generous rebates to foreign nationals. They were interested in the remote gaming industry and whether criminal funds pass through it. They were also interested in the fact that there seems to have been a lack of criminal investigations into the Panama Papers. One reason I offered was the lack of inquiring magistrates for example, who can take action independently of who is in power. I think MEPs are interested in what Malta is doing in terms of financial services, rather than the politics we tend to talk about here.”