David Casa presents leaked FIAU report to magistrate
● Part of the report deals with the 17 Black kickback allegations ● It’s ‘pure conjecture’, says Konrad Mizzi
Nationalist MEP David Casa yesterday presented to Magistrate Aaron Bugeja a leaked FIAU report which, he says, proves conclusively that Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi and the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Konrad Mizzi engaged in corruption and money laundering.
The report is the same one that also speaks of alleged kickbacks received by Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri from a company connected to Armada Floating Gas Services Malta, owners of the LNG tanker berthed in Marsaxlokk.
The money was allegedly transferred through a Dubai-based company called 17 Black. Part of the report, which according to the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit was never finalised, was published by The Malta Independent last year, but Casa says he has the full report.
Magistrate Bugeja is investigating allegations that the Prime Minister’s wife Michelle Muscat is the owner of Egrant, a company was opened in Panama.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Casa said the report, which focused on Mizzi, provides conclusive documented financial transactions, bank statements, and flight logs, and was analysed by a team of financial and legal experts hired by Casa to confirm its authenticity. Pilatus Bank, Casa said, also features in the report.
Casa also revealed that the transactions coincide with the dates of the sale of Enemalta.
“It is like we are living under a dictatorship, I don’t believe in the country’s institutions, the police commissioner, the FIAU, the Attorney General, so I have to go to the judiciary where I have faith the truth will come out.
“This is the biggest scandal Malta has ever seen, but the Police have not even investigated Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi. I have been threatened with prison for having the reports, but they’re the ones who should be afraid of imprisonment.”
Casa said he would not reveal the exact details found in the report to the public so that the magistrate who will be assigned to the recourse will be free of outside influence and speculation.
This FIAU report does not form part of the information Casa had submitted to the competent European authorities and the European Central Bank, as part of their investigation into Pilatus Bank.
Casa said there should be an inquiry against Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri which should also seek to establish why the FIAU kept this report hidden. Casa said this was the most serious from the leaked reports.
PN MP Jason Azzopardi, who also addressed the press, said it was not prudent to divulge the content of the report yet. He insisted however, that the report contained evidence of “schemes, systems, behaviour and collusion to launder money on a large scale by members of the executive and other high-ranking people within the Office of the Prime Minister”.
Shortly after the press conference, Casa headed to the Law Courts.
Pure conjecture - Konrad Mizzi
Reacting through a press release, Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi said that what Nationalist MEP David Casa presented in court was “pure conjecture”.
Mizzi said that, “no wrongdoing whatsoever was committed, and that the trust and company (now dissolved) have never held bank accounts and absolutely no funds were ever received from anywhere in the world. This has been confirmed by an independent audit conducted by international audit firm Crowe Horwath.
“No amount of hypotheses or speculation in this regard can ever be proved because they are false.”
Mizzi said, “the alleged content of what is purported to be an FIAU draft working document is, at best, pure conjecture. Any report based on falsities and speculation cannot be anything but an irresponsible work of fiction. Any investigation would show that I received zero funds and I cannot envisage any honest report stating otherwise.
“I have previously complained of a coordinated smear campaign by Nationalist Party bloggers and sympathisers in the press.
“The same unproven PN allegations are evidently at the core of the draft report. It is clear that this campaign was coordinated with the writer of the draft report, and the report written to be eventually leaked.”