The government’s anti-money laundering agency is still without a chief following the resignation this summer of the former director Manfred Galdes, the Times of Malta has learnt.
Dr Galdes’s abrupt resignation was made public in August following an investigation by the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) into the Panama Papers leak.
The former FIAU chief had refused to state publicly why he resigned, saying the law precluded him from doing so.
The conclusions of the FIAU’s Panama Papers investigation were reportedly handed to the police.
The police have repeatedly told the media that they saw no reasonable suspicion that a crime had been committed by Minister Konrad Mizzi and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Keith Schembri.
The selection process was currently in progress, following both a public and internal call
Both men had opened secret companies in Panama for which their financial advisers tried to open up bank accounts all over the world.
The FIAU is chaired by Attorney General Peter Grech and its board of governors has representatives appointed by the Central Bank Governor, MFSA chairman and Commissioner of Police.
The FIAU gathers intelligence but cannot prosecute, and to this end, its investigations are passed on to the police to take the necessary action.
A spokesman for the Finance Ministry told this paper that the FIAU’s deputy director was currently fulfilling the role of acting director.
The spokesman said that the Finance Ministry was informed that the selection process was currently in progress, following both a public and internal call, and that it was envisaged that it should be concluded this month.
The Nationalist Party had demanded answers following Dr Galdes’ resignation, in view of his investigation into Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri.
Finance Minister Edward Scicluna had maintained that he was not privy to the outcome of the FIAU’s Panama Papers investigation, and could not even say if the probe had been concluded.
“I don’t know what happened, and it is not my remit to find out whom they were investigating, because if I knew, it would not look good,” Prof. Scicluna told this paper in an interview in August.
The government had hit back at the “irresponsible” Opposition by saying that the FIAU was an independent institution and Dr Galdes had stepped down to join a private company.
It was announced this week that the former FIAU chief had been appointed CEO and director of ARQ Group’s compliance and anti-money laundering branch.
jacob.borg@timesofmalta.com