Four Identity Malta officials took bribes to issue residence permits and a fifth man acted as the go-between, a court heard yesterday.

Police sources said these were just the start of a long list of arraignments related to the residence permits racket. At least five more Identity Malta employees are expected to be arraigned in the coming days as the police deepen their investigation.

But the four workers charged yesterday, all in their early 20s, were described by police sources as “small fry”.

They appeared before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli accused of accepting bribes between January and August of this year.

All five were charged with complicity in unlawful exaction, trading in influence, extortion and complicity in the submission of false declarations to a public authority.

Three of the employees – a 21-year-old man from St Julian’s, a 24-year-old woman from Pembroke and a 21-year-old woman, also from Pembroke – admitted the charges.

Prosecuting officers Rennie Stivala and Yvonne Farrugia noted that the accused fully cooperated with the police, gave a detailed statement outlining the precise extent of their involvement and promised to cooperate with the police in further investigations involving third parties.

They had also abided by the conditions of their police bail.

The prosecution highlighted the fact that the extent of involvement by the 21-year-old man and the 24-year-old woman was “minimal”.

The 21-year-old woman’s involvement was deemed as being slightly more than her colleagues but still could not be described as being heavily involved.

The court gave them a two-year sentence suspended for four.

The lawyers of the two women appealed for a ban on the publication of their names, arguing that their clients were receiving threats and police were still investigating.

The prosecution did not object and the court upheld the request, although Magistrate Demicoli remarked that the others should have submitted the same request. In view of the fact that the two women could be identified by association, the names of the other accused are not being published in this newspaper.

A 21-year-old employee from Ħamrun pleaded not guilty and was granted bail against a deposit of €800 and a personal guarantee of €3,000.

The go-between, a 28-year-old man from Baħar ic-Ċagħaq, who works as a monti hawker, also pleaded not guilty and was granted bail against a deposit of €800 and a personal guarantee of €3,000.

Lawyers Maria Azzopardi, Joseph Gatt, David Camilleri, Franco Debono, Kathleen Grima and Roberto Montalto appeared for the accused. The arraignments follow a surprise raid by the Economic Crimes Unit in September.

The development comes after former Labour Party treasurer Joe Sammut was charged in August with creating hundreds of false trading companies with the Malta Financial Services Authority in order to obtain residence permits for Libyan citizens.

PN hits back

The PN lambasted the government after a press release was issued stating that the people arraigned had been involved in corruption “for years”.

The government said results of the battle against the corruption that had been going on for years were starting to be seen.

This was proof it was fighting abuse. It was only during the past months following changes in Identity Malta that the racket had been exposed, he said.

PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami said it was evident that Identity Malta was caught up in a scandal of “institutionalised corruption”.

The agency, he said, was set up after Labour took office and replaced a number of competent government departments. Not only were the people arraigned aged between 21 and 24, but the charges were for alleged crimes committed between January and August.

The corruption occurred under chairman Joe Vella Bonnici’s watch, he continued, questioning why the government insisted on protecting such people.

kim.dalli@timesofmalta.com