The police this morning are questioning a number of persons to further their investigations into the issuing of residency permits.

In a statement issued by the Department of Information – not the police – the government said that the investigation started after information was passed on by the government to the Security Services. This led to the identification of abuses that have been carried out for at least five years, the DOI said.

This phase of the investigation follows other abuses that were identified through checks and balances introduced by Identity Malta and the Employment and Training Corporation, the DOI said.

This racket, in different forms, has been in operation for several years and so the investigation goes beyond those caught by internal measures introduced by the authorities concerned.

The government is taking these abuses seriously and is working to eliminate such abuse, the DOI said.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that the time that such rackets operate unhindered is over. “This and other investigations show that the government wants to administer in a serious manner and will not tolerate abuse,” Dr Muscat said.

Last month, accountant Joe Sammut today was released on bail after he pleaded not guilty to a string of charges including fraud, misappropriation of funds, money laundering and the falsification of documents.  

Mr Sammut, 58, from St Paul’s Bay, was allegedly helping Libyans obtain residence permits by creating fictitious companies. Investigators looked into hundreds of companies he helped set up before pressing charges against him.

The former PL treasurer and election candidate, who was arraigned under arrest, faces a total of 13 charges, which also include making use of false documents and breach of his professional duties as an accountant.