Panama Papers enquiry: shameful behaviour by Maltese Parliamentarians
Despite the fact that the PANA enquiry committee have asked to meet the present Maltese members of parliament on 20th February, to date this request has not yet been acceeded to by the Speaker of the Maltese parliament.
Moreover, politicians of special interest to PANA, like Konrad Mizzi and Ninu Zammit, have not bothered to answer. The only Maltese politicians who have confirmed are Minister Edward Scicluna and Beppe Fenech Adami.
On the other hand, four Maltese journalists, officials from the Tax Compliance Unit and the Malta Financial Services Authority as well as the Acting Director of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) and the police commissioner, together with the Managing Director of Sparkasse Bank, representatives of EMD Advisory and Deloitte (Malta) have all confirmed they will be meeting the PANA Committee.
Brian Tonna and Karl Cini of Nexia BT have not done so. Neither has Keith Schembri.
Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola, said: “It is shameful that all the Maltese politicians invited, apart from Minister Scicluna, are avoiding the meeting, thus reinforcing the impression that they have something to hide. Then they have the nerve to speak about transparency and openness. As for Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri and Brian Tonna, the more you run away, the more you convince all Maltese that you were involved in dirty business. The more you run away, the more you will be haunted by the Panama Papers for the rest of your days.”
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L-inkjesta dwar il-Panama Papers
Minkejja l-fatt li l-Kumitat ta’ Inkjesta PANA kien talab li jiltaqa’ mal-Membri tal-Parlament Malti fl-20 ta’ Frar, sal-lum din it-talba għadha ma gietx milqugħa mill-iSpeaker tal-Parlament Malti. Barra minn hekk, politiċi ta’ interess partikolari, bħal Konrad Mizzi u Ninu Zammit lanqas indenjaw iwieġbu.
Il-Ministru Edward Scicluna u Beppe Fenech Adami huma l-uniku politici li ikkonfermaw li se jidhru quddiem il-kumitat PANA. Mill-banda l-oħra, erba’ ġurnalisi Maltin, uffiċjali mit-Tax Compliance Unit u l-Malta Financial Services Authority kif ukoll l-Agent Diretur tal-Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) u l-Kummissarju tal-Pulizija, flimkien mal-Managing Director ta’ Sparkasse Bank, rappreżentanti ta’ EMD Advisory u Deloitte (Malta) kollha kkonfermaw li ser jiltaqgħu mal-Kumitat PANA. Brian Tonna u
Karl Cini ta’ Nexia BT ma kkonfermaw xejn, u lanqas Keith Schembri.
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, il-Prof. Arnold Cassola, qal: “Huwa tal-mistħija li l-politiċi Maltin mistednin jidhru quddiem il-kumitat PANA, ħlief il-Ministru Scicluna, kollha qed jevitaw din il-laqgħa, u b’hekk qed isaħħu l-impressjoni li għandhom x’jaħbu. Imbagħad, għandhom il-wiċċ li jitkellmu dwar trasparenza u ċarezza. Inkwantu għal Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri u Brian Tonna, aktar ma tiġru u taħarbu, aktar tikkonvinċu lill-Maltin li kontu involuti f’imġiba dubjuża għall-aħħar. Aktar ma taħarbu, aktar din l-istorja tal-Panama ser tibqa’ tiġri warajkom tul ħajjitkom.”
