Responsibility for Identity Malta has been assigned to the Justice Ministry.

The responsibilities include matters relating to citizenship and foreigners, the Central Visa Unit and matter relating to National Identity Management including the Public and Land registries, civil registrations, Identity Cards and passports.
This was being done as part of the reengineering of the department’s works.

Identity Malta was among the first agencies set up by the Labour Party after being returned to power in March 2013. It was the responsibility of the Home Affairs Ministry.

Three Identity Malta employees were suspended from work on full pay last year and put on police bail for three months, however, no charges were ever brought against them as no evidence of wrong doing was found. Police bail has since been removed.

Former PL official Joe Sammut was taken to court last August and accused of registering hundreds of fictitious companies to obtain residence permits for Libyan citizens. A number of low-ranking employees at Identity Malta had also been arraigned and admitted helping Mr Sammut.

ANOTHER ACT IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S DRAMA - PN

In a statement, Home Affairs shadow minister Beppe Fenech Adami said the Prime Minister had failed in the management of Identity Malta which was shrouded in corruption.

In view of this failure, he opted to humiliate Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela and passed on the agency to another ministry.

Dr Fenech Adami said that the problem of corruption at the agency was not of one minister or another but of the Prime Minister’s administration because he had personally selected people who were close to him to manage it. 

"Dr Muscat’s government is in a corruption crisis not just because of the Gaffarena scandal but also because of the 14,000 visa and residence permits issued by Identity Malta," Dr Fenech Adami said adding that what Dr Muscat announced tonight was another act in the drama he was known for.

"His credibility is in freefall," the shadow minister said.