(Adds Government's reply)

The Nationalist Party is envisaging problems with the EU on the Government's proposal to sell Maltese citizenship, deputy leader Mario de Marco said this morning.

He said Montenegro, an applicant country which offers a similar scheme to that being proposed, was pressured, and had to suspend the scheme, when it sold citizenship to a former Prime Minister of Thailand who had been convicted of serious crimes.

"Let's take things one step at a time," Dr de Marco replied when asked by Times of Malta whether the PN was planning to take the matter to a European level.

Addressing a press conference on the subject, Dr de Marco and spokesman Jason Azzopardi highlighted their "serious concern" that the consultants chosen to promote the scheme abroad, Henley and Partners, was also the body which would carry out due diligence tests on applications received.

"The conflict of interest is as clear as crystal, especially since the consultants will be pocketing a commission for every application that is received and accepted," Dr de Marco said.

Dr Azzopardi also questioned the "hastiness" with which the Government wants to enact this new law which it plans to start discussing on Monday and get approval by Wednesday, in time for Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's visit to Caribbean countries to promote this scheme.

"We are selling our country cheaply and we do not need this, especially because the county's reputation, which we strived so hard to build, was at stake," he said.

In its reply, the Government said applicants investing in Maltese citizenship would be effectively scrutinised in the most serious of manners and that it would be Identity Malta, and not Henley, which would take the final decision on whether somebody qualifies for citizenship.

No mention was made about the Commission claim.