The chair of an Italian anti-mafia commission is not convinced that Malta is doing its utmost to fight money laundering and organised crime.

Italian Democratic Party senator Rosy Bindi said that Malta's economic foundations were too heavily based on financial services and remote gaming, making it attractive to mafia operators who wanted to use the island for criminal activity including money laundering. 

Ms Bindi, who was speaking at the end of a two-day visit, said her commission wanted to see a major effort by the Maltese government to try to close legal loopholes which could be exploited by Italian crime syndicates.

The fight against criminality and organised crime was not just a job for the police, she said.

“Financial services practitioners and lawyers facilitating the opening of companies in Malta may also be part of the problem," she said.

Malta's police commissioner, she added, had not found time to meet with the commission as he had other urgent matters to look into.

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