Reports of Egrant whistleblower intimidation ‘alarming’, PN says

PL: Busuttill still believes woman who fled country

The Nationalist Party yesterday said that a report in the Times of Malta on alleged intimidation which a Russian whistleblower’s family endured from Russian detectives hired by Maltese individuals is alarming and confirms why the whistleblower had to leave Malta after the election.

The Russian national had claimed, in an interview with The Malta Independent, to have seen documents proving that the ultimate beneficiary owner of Egrant Inc – the third Panama Papers company – belonged to Michelle Muscat. She claimed she saw the documents while she was working for Pilatus Bank. Both the PM and his wife deny the claims.

“The accusation put forward by the whistleblower are very serious, as they implicate the Prime Minister directly,” the PN said in a statement yesterday.

“The Prime Minister and the government have been trying to destroy the credibility of this person for months, so much so that she had to leave the country with a young child.”

The PN called on the government to stop intimidating the whistleblower and offer her the necessary protection. “These fresh allegations need to be properly investigated and the Maltese public are expecting to see the results of the inquiry led by Magistrate Aaron Bugeja.”

PL reaction

Reacting, the Labour Party said Simon Busuttil’s statement on the person he calls a whistleblower – “who made allegations without providing a shred of proof or truth” – was incredible.

“Simon Busuttil believes the person who, after making those allegations about the Prime Minister and is undergoing criminal proceedings for fraud, fled the country.”

The PL said that, as a caretaker party leader, Busuttil should stop dragging the PN down and stop destroying the little credibility the party had left.