Even though it is illegal to publish Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) reports, it is currently in the national interest to publish any reports that deal with the workings of politically exposed persons, Nationalist Party Leader Simon Busuttil said today.
Replying to a question by The Malta Independent in a press conference this morning, Dr Busuttil was referring to the appeal he made yesterday for Attorney General Peter Grech to publish any other FIAU reports he may have which have information about Chief of Staff Keith Schembri and consultant Brian Tonna.
Dr Busuttil said that Dr Grech has a responsibility as both AG and chairman of the FIAU. “It is true that in the laws of the FIAU, there should be protection and there is an obligation that no one gives out information,” he said. “However, this clause should not be used in order to protect an individual in the case of money laundering, and that is the question.”
“I am not ready to accept that the law is used to hide money laundering. Even if the law tells you not to publish such reports, the national interest is to publish is,” he said, following which he appealed to the public that “if there are other reports on the people involved then publish them now, before the election.”
Yesterday, Dr Busuttil explained that the fact that the FIAU report was published on 17 May 2016 but Police Commissioner Michael Cassar resigned in April of the same year, shows that there must have been another report. He then appealed to the Attorney General Peter Grech to produce this other report promptly.
“People need to decide whom they want to lead their country in an informed manner. If the Attorney General is not ready to put these forward, then he is staying back from his constitutional duty,” he continued. “If someone does not want to take responsibility with publishing the reports they can be given to me and I will take that risk.”
He went on to say that he believes that the Attorney General, who was appointed into his position by the previous Nationalist Government, “is scared of the present government, and therefore bows down to everything.”
“Don’t let them use you, you know that what I am telling you is right, you know what the right thing to do is,” Dr Busuttil said, in a message to the Attorney General.
When asked by the media if he will change the AG if the PN wins the election, Dr Busuttil said that it will be a decision taken by Parliament and would need to get a vote of two-thirds in Parliament in order to be changed. “It will be a decision decided across the board,” he said, “not one I can take just because I will be Prime Minister.”