Efimova has been proved right on Pilatus Bank’s operations despite Egrant conclusions – Casa

Maria Efimova has been proved right about “Pilatus Bank’s client list, about the relationship between the bank and Nexia BT and Henley & Partners, and about the money laundering processes of the bank” despite the Egrant Inquiry’s conclusions, MEP David Casa told The Malta Independent on Sunday in an interview in today’s issue.

“The vast amount of the information Maria Efimova revealed – that had nothing to do with the part-published inquiry – continues to be accurate, all while her former employer is under house arrest in the United States for money laundering,” Casa explained, adding that he still maintained that she should not be extradited to Malta.

The Egrant Inquiry, whose conclusions were published last Sunday, did not find evidence that the third Panama company belonged to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat or his wife Michelle, or that the Prime Minister’s wife had received a $1.07 million payment in a Dubai account.

However, the inquiry did discover that the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Keith Schembri had two accounts at Pilatus Bank, finding transactions related to Willerby Trading Ltd, which is subject to a separate inquiry, and a fee payment to the New Zealand auditors that had opened his Haast Trust.

Stressing that he took no issue with what has been released so far, he “deplored the way that it has been spun by the Labour Party. This inquiry had little if anything to do with Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri and yet they latched onto it, unashamedly declaring that their names have been cleared”.

Magistrate Aaron Bugeja’s inquiry also found that Sahra FZCO whose UBO is Leyla Aliyev the daughter of Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, and Shams Al Sahra FZCO were Nijat and Tale Heydarov, the children of Azeri Energy Minister Kamaladdin Heydarov, were clients of Pilatus Bank and held accounts with the bank.

In the interview, Casa also faced questions concerning the PN fallout following the publication of the inquiry’s conclusions and was asked why former Busuttil should not shoulder any political responsibility and ignored PN Leader Adrian Delia’s request for him to suspend himself from the parliamentary group.

Stressing that the campaign covered allegations on the widespread corruption in government, in particular with Schembri and Mizzi, Casa said that “Busuttil paid his dues for the election result. He stepped down as party leader. I commented publicly that the PN is stronger if it is united. I stand by that statement.”

Asked specifically whether he believed Delia should remain as party leader, given that he publicly backed Busuttil, Casa said that Delia “should remain the leader of the PN while he continues to enjoy the support of electors”.