Following the revelations by The Malta Independent that former PN minister Ninu Zammit hid US$3.2 million in a Swiss HSBC bank account, and that these funds were registered in terms of the amnesty as per Investment Registration Scheme Regulations of 2014, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola, said: “AD has queries as to the explanations given and accepted in respect of the registered funds.

AD is aware that the Registration certificate cannot be issued by the Central Bank of Malta unless the said bank and its agents are satisfied that the registered funds do not originate from crimes other that those listed in the Income Tax Act. In particular, AD points out that funds which originate from laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking or from acts of corruption cannot be registered. AD considers that it is essential that the public is assured that the Central Bank of Malta and its agents have not registered any funds unless they were 100% sure of their origins.

In view of this, Alternattiva Demokratika is asking the Auditor General to investigate the whole 2014 Investment Registration scheme set up by the Maltese government, in order to ensure that it was properly operated.”

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Wara dak li ppubblikat il-Malta Independent rigward l-ex Ministru Ninu Zammit li ħeba US$3.2 miljuni fil-kont Svizzeru tal-HSBC, li mbagħad ġew reġistrati fit-termini tal-amnestija kif mogħtija mir-Regolamenti dwar ir-Registrazzjoni ta’ Investmenti tal-2014, iċ-Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika , il-Prof. Arnold Cassola, qal: “AD għandha mistoqsijiet x’tagħmel dwar l-ispjegazzjonijiet mogħtija u aċċettati rigward il-fondi registrati.

AD hija konxja mill-fatt li ċ-ċertifikat ta’ reġistrazzjoni ma jistax jinħareġ mill-Bank Ċentrali ta’ Malta sakemm l-istess Bank u l-aġenti tieghu ma jkunux soddisfatti li l-fondi rreġistrati ma joriġinawx minn atti kriminali kif elenkati fl-Att dwar it-Taxxa td-Dħul. B’mod partikolari, AD tinnota li l-fondi li joriġinaw mill-ħasil ta’ flus li ġejjin mit-traffikar tad-droga jew minn atti ta’ korruzzjoni ma jistgħux jiġu rreġistrati. AD tikkonsidra li huwa essenzjali li l-pubbliku jiġi żgurat li l-Bank Ċentrali ta’ Malta u l-aġenti tieghu ma jkunux irreġistraw l-ebda fondi, sakemm ma kinux ċerti 100% mill-oriġini tagħhom.

In vista ta’ dan, Alternattiva Demokratika qed titlob lill-Awditur Ġenerali jinvestiga l-iskema kollha ta’ registrazzjoni tal-investiment maħruġa mill-gvern Malti fl-2014, biex jizgura li ġiet implimentata b’mod korrett”.