Finance Minister Edward Scicluna had hard words to say yesterday evening regarding a story carried by The Malta Independent on Sunday about Bank of Valletta.
But this newsroom rebuts that all the information that was leaked to it is already in possession of the bank.
Instead of spending time in Parliament (and on World Press Freedom Day at that!) attacking the paper, the minister would have done better to ask the bank to give him all the information it has.
The minister was speaking in Parliament during a short debate on a motion allowing government to commit to have €66 million ready to lend to the EU institutions in case need arises to bail out banks in Europe.
Turning aside from the matter under discussion, the minister referred to the TMIS story and said that while the press is free, it must also be responsible.
Such a story, he added, can do huge damage to the bank and to Malta's name internationally. Issues such as regard money laundering and doing business with Libya raise huge concerns.
If anyone knows anything, that person must go to the police or to FIAU and pass on any information one has so that action be taken.
Bank of Valletta is Malta's biggest bank with a market share of half Malta and such news reported about it can lead to it losing its correspondent banks and people in business will not be able to do business.
The minister concluded by appealing for more responsibility.
He was answered by Opposition MP Kristy Debono who reminded the minister about questions she has raised in preceding weeks about who the bank was lending to and who the bank did not led to.
Winding up the short debate, the minister again referred to the TMIS story. He claimed that businessmen who want to trade with countries such as Iran, Algeria and other countries are finding the banks too rigid and too afraid to facilitate business whereas other countries, such as France, Germany, the UK and Italy have taken quick steps to facilitate matters for their businesses with these countries, even opening up bank accounts for them.
The minister seemed to imply that in Malta with the insistence on zero tolerance and with the banks under attack by the media, they are completely afraid to do business.
All he was asking was that anyone with information speaks to the authorities and divulges any information in possession.
BOV Leaks story