The European Parliament's committee of inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion (PANA) invited Dr Manfred Galdes to meet its MEPs in Malta on Monday 20 February. 

Dr Galdes is the former Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit Chief who stepped down in the wake of the Panama Papers scandal. MEP David Casa insisted with the EPP Group to request the PANA Committee to invite Dr Galdes and the PANA Committee accepted. 

"I'm satisfied that my proposal was accepted as it would have been unacceptable not including him in our programme. I really hope that Dr Manfred Galdes accepts the invitation contrary to what Minister Konrad Mizzi and Chief of Staff Keith Schembri have done until now," Dr Casa said in a statement.

"I challenge the Prime Minister to live up to his European credentials to make sure that Minister Konrad Mizzi and Chief of Staff Keith Schembri accept our invitation to appear in front of this Inquiry Committee", he added.

Back in August 2016, Dr Galdes had announced his resignation as Director of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU).

The Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit is a government agency established under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. It is the entity responsible for the collection, collation, processing, analysis and dissemination of information with a view to combating money laundering and the funding of terrorism.  The Unit is also responsible for monitoring compliance with the relevant legislative provisions.

There were media reports suggesting that the FIAU under Galdes leadership investigated the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Keith Schembri as well as Minister Konrad Mizzi in their "secret offshore dealings in the British Virgin Islands, Gibralter, Cyprus and Panama".