Labour MP Evarist Bartolo has asked Finance Minister Tonio Fenech whether the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit was investigating Maugeri Foundation scandal which was being probed in Italy for money laundering, tax evasion and misappropriation of public funds.
It is important to determine the technique used by the Maugeri officials to see how and who was used in Malta
Speaking at length on the subject during the adjournment, Mr Bartolo said it was the duty of this unit, as well as that of the Malta Financial Services Authority, to investigate. Other institutions, whose duty it was not to allow Malta to be used for money laundering, should also carry out their investigations.
He said the Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, based in Pavia, had built a good reputation in health research, especially health at work.
Its officials were introduced to Malta by Mario Cal who was a common visitor to Malta and who had committed suicide.
Mr Bartolo said it resulted that €70 million in the name of Salvatore Maugeri Foundation were transferred to various bank accounts outside Italy, including Malta. Last December, it came to light that out of this sum taken by Pierangelo Dacco from the Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, €15 million was sent to bank accounts in Malta through the Bank of Valletta. In Italy, the company Periplo was used for the transfer of funds. Periplo was part of Sib Ltd which was based in Malta, with offices in Balzan.
Mr Bartolo said it was important to determine the technique used by the Maugeri officials to see how and who was used in Malta. These officials used the University of Malta, Mater Dei Hospital, the Council for Science and Technology and Malta Enterprise. Mr Bartolo said the Prime Minister’s son, Dr David Gonzi, who was the secretary of the company Sib Limited, was also used.
From the €15 million which were supposedly used to buy patents, only €3 million were used. What had happened to the other €12 million, asked Mr Bartolo
The council for Science and Technology was the only entity which stopped contact with Sib Ltd immediately. The University of Malta eventually did the same and Mr Bartolo called on Malta Enterprise to take action. Nothing had been heard from Mater Dei and the Bank of Valletta was in complete silence. Mr Bartolo asked what was being done by the Bank of Valletta and whether an internal inquiry was done to determine who was involved. Since the government was a major shareholder of this bank, Mr Bartolo asked whether he had taken any action.
The Salvatore Maugeri Foundation was at the moment run by one of Salvatore Maugeri’s sons when his other son, Umberto, resigned when he was in India. Was there also commerce on an international level hidden under health research deals from India, Russia and Milan. The common factor between these three countries was the Sib Laboratories Ltd.
One of the techniques used in Italy and Malta by the officials was good contacts in every country were they operated so that authorities would not suspect of what was happening and in case they realised, no investigation would be held due to the political connection of the contacts.