The government’s silence in the aftermath of the arraignment of the Labour Party’s former treasurer, Joe Sammut, who has been charged with fraud and money laundering after he allegedly set up bogus companies to facilitate the granting of residence permits to hundreds of Libyans, is worrying.
Without going into the merits of the case, the charges filed against Mr Sammut raise security concerns and could suggest the existence of a network of corrupt public officials.
The government should have ordered an inquiry into how such visas were issued, identified those who were granted visas and announced measures to ensure that such a scam, which is certainly a threat to our national security, will not happen again.
The Home Affairs Minister did not even announce whether these visas were to be revoked, although the head of Identity Malta, Joe Vella Bonnici, told the Times of Malta on Friday, almost two weeks after the scandal erupted, that all residence permits issued on the back of incorrect information would be withdrawn.
Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil was right to call for an urgent meeting of the Security Committee, of which he is a member. The government agreed to this request, but a meeting will not be held before September 10, more than three weeks after Mr Sammut’s arraignment. Such a lethargic attitude by the government towards what is potentially a serious breach of national security shows that this administration has misplaced priorities.
A scandal of this nature damages Malta’s image and reputation and gives the country a bad name in business circles. It also shames us among our European Union partners.
The government should have reacted immediately when this case first emerged and taken measures to put people’s minds at rest. Instead it has now launched a new residency-through-investment scheme, where third-party nationals will be awarded residence permits in return for investing in government bonds and property. The scheme itself might be a good one, but the timing of its introduction is certainly not.
It would have been better if such a scheme, however potentially beneficial for the economy, was postponed until the system which allegedly allowed Mr Sammut to have residence permits issued on the basis of false information, was fixed.
When this question was raised with José Herrera, the Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Growth said that measures had been taken to ensure that what happened would not repeat itself in the new programme and that ‘security’ had been virtually doubled – whatever that means. Perhaps the government could explain exactly what these new measures entail.
The Home Affairs portfolio, especially the police, has not been one of this government’s success stories. The government’s initial introduction of its citizenship scheme was disastrous and it was forced into a U-turn. This latest residence permits scandal has further tarnished the image of the ministry.
The police force, which has had three commissioners since Labour was elected to office two and a half years ago, has been plagued by scandals and reports of mismanagement and inefficiency. Inquiries have cast a bad light on a number of senior police officers, including a former acting commissioner. And the massive spate of burglaries in Sliema taking place has raised doubts about the ability of the police to combat crime.
The Ministry for Home Affairs performs a crucial role in any democratic country and is responsible for law and order and internal security. The police have a major role in this important task. Unfortunately, a growing number of people have little confidence in the police.
It is time for Joseph Muscat and Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela to make a shake-up of the police force and the various departments within the ministry an immediate priority.