The European Parliament’s committee on financial crime is set to hold a hearing on 17 Black next month after answers provided by Malta’s permanent representation were deemed “insufficient” by MEPs, the Times of Malta has learnt. 

The committee, formally known as Tax3, is tasked with following up on the work of the special committee on the Panama Papers and tax evasion schemes.

Sources close to the committee said Justice Minister Owen Bonnici had already accepted an invitation to testify during the hearing. 

A member of the Daphne Project is also invited together with representatives from Moneyval, the Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering body.

Other hearings about “alleged financial crimes” in other EU member states are also expected to take place. 

Committee member Sven Giegold told the Times of Malta the hearing on 17 Black would be held after proposals by both the EPP and European Greens.

Malta’s Permanent Representative to the EU, Daniel Azzopardi, had slammed as “speculative” a question by MEPs on the committee linking Daphne Caruana Galizia’s work on the power station contract to her assassination.

MEPs had also asked whether there was any explanation why the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, Keith Schembri, and Tourism Minister, Konrad Mizzi, planned to receive up to $2 million from 17 Black. 

The Times of Malta and Reuters reported last November that the company was owned by power station investor Yorgen Fenech. Nationalist MP David Casa, who also sits on Tax3, said the 17 Black issue had exposed the relevant authorities’ reluctance or inability to effectively investigate and prosecute what he termed as “serious cross-border crimes”.

He pointed out that concerns had also been raised about securing and transmitting evidence related to 17 Black coming from foreign authorities that had such information.

An intelligence report identifying Mr Fenech as 17 Black’s owner was sent to the police by the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit last spring. 

Police economic crimes unit chief Ian Abdilla would not provide an update about the investigation when approached by the Times of Malta last month.

It is known that the police only sought assistance from a magistrate to send requests for information to Dubai and Latvia about 17 Black’s ownership several months after the FIAU report was received.

Sources had toldTimes of Malta the investigation would only progress further once ownership details about 17 Black had been confirmed. It would only be then that Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri could fall within the scope of the investigation, the sources had said. 

The FIAU report in question was about Dr Mizzi’s energy deals.

PN: Minister and chief of staff are embarrassing the country

In a reaction, the Nationalist Party said that the fact that the European Parliament committee would be holding a hearing about 17 Black was a matter of concern for Malta's reputation.

Yet again, minister Konrad Mizzi and chief of staff Keith Schembri were shaming the country as a result of their secret companies.

The PN said that after the revelations of the Panama Papers Dr Mizzi should have stepped down, as had other people abroad who were similarly named. 

 

 

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