Magistrate Aaron Bugeja, who is investigating the alleged forged signatures of PN leader Adrian Delia, has summoned a number of police officers to testify, The Malta Independent has learnt.
Two weeks ago in a press conference, Delia said that had written to the Police Commissioner to demand an investigation into the falsification of his signature by unknown persons. Delia said that he had asked the Police Commissioner to discover what links there were between documents with false signatures containing allegations that there exists an FIAU report which concerns him, and which was leaked to various newsrooms.
This newsroom is informed that Magistrate Bugeja last Monday questioned a number of police officers and some of the questions asked were related to how these FIAU documents were leaked to the media.
Court sources told this newsroom that Magistrate Bugeja will most likely be calling in members of the media to ask them how they had obtained these documents, which allegedly show how the FIAU was tipped off, back in 2017, that Delia had, at one point, owned a bank account which could have been associated with a prostitution racket in Soho. The bank account was allegedly used to launder money.
According to media reports quoting from the leaked report, the FIAU had flagged that there was sufficient evidence to conclude that Adrian Delia and his Jersey bank account may have been used for money laundering. The reports also quoted senior police officials as saying that the FIAU had recommended a criminal investigation.
Delia has denied any wrongdoing and has said that his involvement was limited to that of a legal advisor and representative for other people involved.
The reports said the case was put on the backburner by police as it was deemed to be too difficult to crack. The case revolves around the account in Jersey which had belonged to Delia, which was used between 2001 and 2004 and which had received funds from areas in Soho and around London, and sent to others.
Last week, this newsroom asked the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life George Hyzler whether he would be looking into the situation, given that the issue has come to light again in recent media reports. Hyzler said that the law does not allow him to investigate the case, given that the alleged acts took place before his office was established.
The Standards in Public Life Act, which came into force last October, reads: “Nothing in this Act shall permit the Commissioner to investigate an allegation on an act which occurred prior to the date on which this Act comes into force.” By entering this clause into the Act, Parliament effectively made it impossible for the Commissioner to look into any past issues involving any MPs.