Casa asks EC if it will investigate French news video claims
Nationalist MEP David Casa has submitted a parliamentary question asking whether the European Commission will be investigating claims made as part of a French exposé.
Last Sunday, French programme Enquête Exclusive broadcast a secretly recorded conversation between an undercover journalist and Paceville entrepreneur Luke Chetcuti, in which the latter refers to contacts he allegedly has with two government ministers. “Last week I was having dinner with Chris (Cardona), the Minister for the Economy, and he texted the tourism minister (Konrad Mizzi), saying, ‘We must help the Chetcuti family. They have always helped us.’ The other minister replied that the beach was quite small but he would see what he could do; if it could be enlarged.”
In another part of the video, an agent from Chetcuti Cauchi Advisors Ltd was filmed boasting about his ‘close’ connection to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship Julia Farrugia Portelli. The firm has since lost its IIP licence. All ministers named in the video have denied any wrongdoing, and Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne has said that the Labour Party did not receive any donations from the Chetcuti family.
In his PQ, Casa said: “On Sunday, 22 September 2019, French investigative journalists from Enquête Exclusive (Exclusive Inquiry) revealed shocking information regarding agents involved in the Maltese passport-for-cash scheme.
In a video, such agents were horrifyingly caught boasting of their close relationships with senior government ministers. One agent was caught on camera bragging that even if a passport is denied, it would be possible to encourage the ministers to ignore the discrepancies.
“Will the European Commissioner investigate these developments, keeping in mind various resolutions approved by the European Parliament calling for such schemes to be stopped,” he asked?
In comments to this newspaper, Casa said: “What has been exposed is not only shocking, but confirms that the process of due diligence for someone to buy Maltese and European citizenship is a complete farce.
“Since day one of this citizenship-for-cash scheme, I, together with my European Parliament colleagues, have continued to pressure the European Commission and the Maltese government to stop this scheme. Over the past several months and years, this scheme was the subject of a number of scandals, investigations and allegations of corruption and money laundering involving Nexia BT and Pilatus Bank. The latest investigative work done by Enquête Exclusive should lead to an immediate halt to the citizenship scheme.”
Opposition requests PAC to investigate
Meanwhile, the Nationalist Party yesterday formally requested that the Public Accounts Committee look into the allegations.
“The government must give a clear following one report after another (relating to corruption and unethical behaviour), and not sweep everything under the rug,” Opposition leader Adrian Delia said.
Delia pointed to Prime Minister Muscat himself as the individual accountable for what has transpired due to the fact that his ministry is responsible for the sale of Maltese passports.
This scandal, he said, would have detrimental effects on the Maltese financial services sector, which employs thousands of people. Such ‘trading in influence’, he said, was ‘pure corruption’.
“The country can’t keep taking hit after hit to its reputation. The damage being done will keep affecting Malta for years to come.”
Reacting, the Labour Party said Delia was ‘inconsistent’.
“After the government said it was taking all the necessary steps in the case, Delia has now asked the PAC to investigate. The government has no difficulty with an investigation at the opportune time,” the PL said.