No portfolio minister Konrad Mizzi this morning said that a story, published in The Malta Independent on Sunday, which quotes from a leaked FIAU report, is a “continuation of a character assassination campaign, originally charted by blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia.”

The newspaper revealed how the FIAU had flagged suspicions of kickbacks over Enemalta’s privatisation. The investigation involved Dr Mizzi and Cheng Chen, an engineer with Shanghai Electric Power – the company which acquired a €320 million stake in Enemalta.

As was already announced, The Malta Independent will be presenting its evidence to the inquiring magistrate.

In a DOI-issued statement he strongly rejected “any allegation of impropriety in general and, specifically, in relation to the strategic investment in Enemalta plc.”

It said the TMIS “attempts to create a link between the trust setup, whose beneficiary is Dr Mizzi’s family, and a separate unrelated company which it claims was set up by a Chinese individual. Dr Mizzi emphasises that no such link exists. This is a rehashed attempt to create the impression of link, which does not exist.”

 “Whereas The Malta Independent on Sunday presents a number conjectures as facts, it merely refers to selective extracts from an unconcluded FIAU report. This unconcluded report has already been quoted by The Malta Independent before Friday’s Xarabank debate. The FIAU itself denied both the existence of any conclusive report on the matter, as well as the facts being alleged by the newspaper,” the statement read. The FIAU report on Friday actually confirmed that the 17 Black report had still not been concluded, as reported by this newspaper.

Dr Mizzi said the basis of this newspaper’s “highly speculative reporting appears to be a number of trips to China made by Minister Mizzi subsequent to Shanghai Electric’s investment in Enemalta.”

Confirming that he visited China “multiple times in connection with government work,” Dr Mizzi said his engagement with Shanghai Electric Power was a prerequisite to the success of attracting the €320 million investment in Enemalta and also in turning around the company.

“Economic successes such as these require commitment and perseverance. Yet The Malta Independent on Sunday attempts to tarnish Dr Mizzi’s reputation on the strength of trips he made to China.”

Dr Mizzi reiterated that “the trust and the company, which is now closed, never had any bank accounts in Dubai or anywhere else in the world, never transacted and never received any funds. An independent audit by Crowe Horwath attests to these facts.”