‘I have never even met Muscat’
Auditor facing criminal charges slams inquiry
An auditor accused of forming part of a criminal association with Joseph Muscat has slammed the charges levelled against him.
In a Facebook post, Steward auditor Chris Spiteri said he has never even met the ex-prime minister “in person”, let alone facilitated trading in influence.
Spiteri said during the course of his audits of Steward: “I have never known that any criminal association exists.”
“No bribery or money laundering have also ever come to my knowledge during all this time. I have been accused of facilitating trading in influence for Joseph Muscat, Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri – the truth is that I have never even met these individuals in person, let alone facilitating anything,” Spiteri said.
Spiteri is among over 30 individuals and companies set to face charges in connection with the hospital scandal, including Muscat, his chief of staff, Schembri and ex-health minister Mizzi.
The auditor echoed Muscat’s and the government’s criticism of the probe, saying “a lot of money has been spent on a magisterial inquiry which has done none other than fabricate lies and a sensational story for partisan motives”.
The auditor said he risks losing his clients, employees and work due to “what has been said about me”.
“Thirty years of hard work as an auditor and all my credibility wiped out in a few days of reporting by the media. It is shameful for the judiciary to
pick on normal persons like myself and try to destroy their life,” Spiteri said.
Spiteri said he had given his version of events during the inquiry and explained in detail the work he carried out as an auditor.
“The magistrate asked me why I was in possession of a lot of
nd knowledge about Vitals/Steward.
“The answer is because as auditor I am actually paid to ask questions and gather information which I could use to produce good accounts.
“Instead, she and her Irish court experts interpreted this
as being for ulterior motives. I have now been served with a freezing order on my assets and bank accounts, which has hampered my work as an auditor in a big way,” Spiteri said.
He accused the magistrate and “her Irish court experts” of incorrectly interpreting his knowledge about Vitals/Steward as meaning he had “ulterior motives”.
“I am also one of the persons with the largest list of criminal charges related to the case. My reputation has been tarnished and my human rights violated.
“I will seek redress in the courts when the time comes and also prove my innocence. I have been treated in a very unjust way,” Spiteri said.
Apart from the money-laundering charges, Spiteri is also alleged to have filed false declarations and taken false oaths, as well as divulging confidential material and underdeclaring the income made by Vitals investors such as Shaukat Ali.
He is the subject of a freezing order against his assets up to a maximum of €30 million.