“We must end the practice of people in power using secrecy provisions in Anti-Money Laundering Legislation to escape punishment for corruption and keep people in the dark”, Nationalist David Casa said.
Casa was reacting to comments made by MP Manuel Mallia that leaked FIAU documents could prejudice an investigation.
“What investigation is being prejudiced when the investigation has been concluded and FIAU reports calling for police action have been collecting dust on the Police Commissioner's desk for years? The current practice in this country is that the FIAU calls for action, the Commissioner of Police is ordered to do nothing and nobody ever finds out about it because it ‘might prejudice an ongoing investigation’. This is of course a despicable abuse of the system,” Casa said.
Casa called for the FIAU investigations into politically exposed persons that call for police action to be published.
David Casa stated:
“It is true that the current law does not allow this. This has to change. Amend the law. At present the law is being exploited by corrupt politicians to keep their crimes secret. Employees of public institutions owe their loyalty to the Maltese people and not to corrupt politicians. In the absence of legal provisions that protect the public, they have a moral obligation to speak out when secrecy provisions are exploited so that corruption and money laundering can go unpunished”.