The Civil Society Network said today that Finance Minister Edward Scicluna has failed to give answers in relation to the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit.

In a statement, the CSN said that five days ago it had asked Minister Edward Scicluna to inform the public whether he had any involvement, even if indirect, in the decision to terminate the employment of FIAU officials Jonathan Ferris u Charles Cronin immediately after the result of the last general election. The said individuals had until a few days after the last June election been heading the financial analysis section and the compliance section of the FIAU respectively.

CSN’s demand was made in view of the fact that the termination of the said officials’ employment was made in the same period of time that Minister Edward Scicluna had publicly asked whether FIAU reports had been written with the intention of being leaked.

Whereas the Network notes that even though five days passed Minister Edward Scicluna still did not answer its question, CSN declares that it will insist on Minister Scicluna to give an explanation on such an important matter.

For this purpose, by means of this press release the Civil Society Network said it is requesting the help of members of the House of Representatives to ask on its behalf the following Parliamentary Question to Minister Edward Scicluna:

Can the Minister of Finance state:

(i)         whether he was ever involved in a conversation (whether in person or by means of any other form of communication) with any member of the Board of Governors or with any official or employee of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit or with any member of the Police Force in which were mentioned the former Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit officials Jonathan Ferris and Charles Cronin or any one of them;

(ii)        whether he ever received from any member of the Board of Governors or from any official or employee of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit or from any member of the Police Force any communication in which the former FIAU officials Jonathan Ferris and Charles Cronin or any one of them were/was mentioned; and

(iii)       whether he ever requested (whether directly or indirectly) from any member of the Board of Governors or from any official or employee of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit or from any member of the Police Force any information in relation to former FIAU officials Jonathan Ferris and Charles Cronin or any one of them; and

(iv)       if such conversation/s and communication and/or request took place, whether such conversation and/or communication and/or request took place before or after Jonathan Ferris and Charles Cronin were informed that their employment with FIAU was being terminated and the name and surname of the person/s with whom such conversion and/or communication took place or to whom the said request was made?

The Civil Society Network will be organising a demonstration in favour of justice on Sunday 3rd December at 4 pm in Valletta. The main speaker will be the former Magistrate against corruption Antonio Di Pietro.