A “small clique” within government’s ranks implicated in the Panama Papers scandal is unfairly tarnishing the perception of Malta’s reputable financial services sector, PN MEP David Casa told the EU Parliament yesterday.
“The persons involved do not reflect the honesty and hard-working values of the Maltese people,” he remarked.
“Malta has the highest standards in the financial services industry with strict legislation. The actions of a small clique in power that resorted to the Panama services are not a testament to this,” the PN MEP added.
The head of the Maltese delegation within the European People’s Party Group made these remarks at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg which yesterday debated the Panama Papers scandal.
EU Fiscal Policy Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, who took part in the debate, listed various measures in the pipeline meant to close loopholes and increase fiscal transparency. He added that public indignation had to be transformed into action.
The documents revealed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists exposed more than 200,000 offshore companies and their secret owners, including politicians and celebrities. Set up by Panamanian corporate services provider Mossack Fonseca, some of these structures served as a vehicle for various illegalities including tax evasion and money laundering.
How are you going to pass from words to action, given that you have just called for zero tolerance?
Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi and the Prime Minister’s top aide, Keith Schembri, both mentioned in the Panama Papers, have re-jected calls to step down even from within their own government, insisting they did nothing wrong. Dr Mizzi is the only member of government in any EU member state who has been flagged for a secret Panama company.
In his two-minute address, the Nationalist MEP reiterated his party’s call for Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to resign, saying his procrastination to take action was casting a shadow on Malta’s financial services sector.
While not referring to Labour MEP Alfred Sant by name – who on Monday called on the Energy Minister to resign – Mr Casa ex-pressed his backing for the position taken by “MEPs on the other side of the European Parliament who are also Maltese”. He said that people in power had to take the necessary decisions as soon as possible so as to avoid further “harm” to Malta’s reputation.
Replying to a question from Slovakian MEP Eduard Kukan, Mr Casa explained that the Opposition had not filed a no-confidence vote with the intent of forcing an early election. He noted that their intention was to hold the Prime Minister accountable for his mishandling of the issue.
Referring to last Sunday’s pro-test organised by the Nationalist Party in Valletta, the Maltese MEP lashed out at the government, describing the “orchestrated attacks” against individuals who had attended the event as “scandalous”.
In an earlier exchange with the chairman of the Socialist and Democrats Group, MEP Gianni Pittella, Mr Casa remarked that the only EU government mentioned in the Panama Papers was the Labour Party, which formed part of this political group. “How are you going to pass from words to action, given that you have just called for zero tolerance against all those involved in this scandal?” Mr Casa asked.
In his reaction, the head of the Socialist Group said he would not “discriminate” or give “discounts” to anybody.
“The problem is not to exploit the issues for political purposes but to make things clear everywhere,” he said.