Pilatus Bank Whistleblower Maria Efimova was yesterday released from custody in Greece after a court rejected two requests, by the Maltese authorities, to have her extradited to Malta.
Efimova was one of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s sources on Pilatus Bank. She had alleged to the murdered journalist that Michelle Muscat, the prime minister’s wife, was the ultimate beneficial of Egrant. The allegation was that money was transferred through Pilatus Bank. Efimova had testified in a magisterial inquiry on the Egrant allegations.
Efimova had sued Pilatus Bank over unpaid wages after she was fired. The bank hit back by claiming she had misappropriated €2,000. In another case she is charged with making false accusations against three police officers.
The Russian had fled Malta, claiming she feared for her life. After the European Arrest Warrants were issued, Efimova gave herself up to the police in Athens and was jailed.
A Greek court ruled on Thursday that the woman would not be extradited, adding that the request was vague and the alleged crime was not serious enough to merit a European Arrest Warrant.
Her lawyer, Alexandros Papastergiopoulous, told MaltaToday that the decision represented a victory for the rule of law.
He said the main reason for the court’s decision were concerns about whether Efimova would be granted a fair trial, as well as concerns related to her safety if she were to be returned.
Earlier yesterday, the Head of Delegation of Partit Nazzjonalista in the European Parliament, MEP David Casa, testified in front of the Greek court in the extradition case of Pilatus Bank whistleblower Maria Efimova.
“As a source of Daphne Caruana Galizia, Maria Efimova revealed information about money laundering within Pilatus Bank involving Azerbaijani and Maltese PEPs,” an EPP statement read.
“In his testimony, MEP Casa presented evidence that ties Pilatus Bank to criminal wrongdoing in the Office of the Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. The court assessed the various reports from Malta’s anti-money laundering agency, the FIAU. David Casa also referred to the FIAU report in his possession, that details the involvement of Konrad Mizzi in criminal activity,” the statement read.
David Casa said: “Konrad Mizzi continues to hold his post, despite the revelations in the Panama Papers. The FIAU report calling for police action was buried by the authorities in Malta. This is clear evidence of the political capture of the institutions. It is testament to the extent of measures that will be taken to protect the criminals in power. The very same people that the information in Maria Efimova’s possession incriminates”.
He referred to the recent arrest of Pilatus Bank’s Chairman Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad in the United States, and the relationship between the Iranian and the top officials of the Maltese Government.
"As a whistleblower, not only was Maria not protected but her identity was revealed by the government – this is a clear example of how her safety was endangered. The Maltese government then launched an aggressive, vicious campaign was launched to discredit and vilify her. The masterminds behind Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination are still at large. Maria was crucial to Daphne’s work and has been proved right time and time again. She will not be safe until Daphne’s killers are apprehended and brought to justice”, Casa said.
David Casa was asked to testify by Efimova’s legal team.
After the court session, David Casa said: “Maria has my support. Maria has the support of the European Parliament. We have a duty to protect whistleblowers. Maria has exposed wrongdoing at great personal risk. The sordid links of criminality between Pilatus Bank, Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri and their associates are clear. They are the ones that should be locked up”.
Prime Minister's reaction
Speaking to journalists this afternoon, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat insisted that the ruling had nothing to do with the “lie” that was said about him.
He clarified that the extradition request was made by the courts, independently of the government. He also said this was not the first time that an extradition request had been refused.
He recalled that a few weeks ago there were two cases where a European country rejected extradition to another country.
Daphne' sons: Whistleblowers should be protected, not persecuted
Today's decision of the court in Athens to reject Malta's request for Maria Efimova's extradition and to release her from custody is welcome news. But it is an indictment of Malta's collapsing rule of law and its government's drive to persecute rather than protect whistleblowers.
Maria Efimova is being targeted in a smear campaign led by the Maltese government. Stories have been spread in the media, falsely accusing her of being wanted in connection with our mother's assassination. Ms Efimova's decision to expose wrongdoing by her former employer in Malta, Pilatus Bank chairman Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad, who is now facing 125 years in a US jail for evading sanctions against Iran, and his corrupt links to Maltese government officials, was a bold and brave step. It put her at risk of assassination.
Ms Efimova should be protected not only because it is her right, but also because it is the right thing to do. Instead, Malta has made her the country's first political asylum seeker.
Whistleblowers play a critical role in ensuring a free and democratic society by revealing malfeasance, corruption, and crime. The risks of speaking out affect them and those closest to them, but the benefits of their speaking out benefit us all.
Malta has done nothing to protect its most prominent whistleblowers, Maria Efimova and Jonathan Ferris, both of whom revealed crime and corruption at the highest level of the Maltese government. Whistleblowers should be protected. They should not be persecuted.