Placed in an awkward position, Attorney General and FIAU Chairman Dr Peter Grech told The Malta Independent today that he had knowledge of the FIAU report on Pilatus Bank and Keith Schembri.

Other media reports have also claimed that an FIAU report has ‘reasonable suspicion’ that the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Keith Schembri and Brian Tonna took kickbacks from the sale of Maltese passports. Mr Schembri said that he is not aware about such a report.

The FIAU Chairman this morning was pressed as to why he failed to act when he knew about the report:

 “What do you mean I have failed to take action? I explained yesterday that the FIAU board deals with policy, it is not privy, it does not conduct particular investigations itself.”

Dr Grech maintained that he does not have any knowledge of the contents in the report.

“The governing board’s role is related to policy decisions and has no role whatsoever in the FIAU’s investigations.”

He said that he was “not privy to the documents handed over in the investigation; this is conducted by the magistrate not by [him].”

He also repeated claims concerning confidentiality when it came to FIAU reports.

Earlier today, Leader of the Opposition Simon Busuttil said that it is in national interest that FIAU reports are published and that he would bear the legal consequences of publishing said reports should he be provided with them.

When asked as to whether or not he would resign should it emerge that he was privy to the contents, Dr Grech said:

 “I did, I said, that I did not have knowledge of the contents of the FIAU reports. Much is being said that I have a copy of it. It is not true. Absolutely. So I mean, I think I have to stop there.”

Malta Financial Services Authority Chairman Prof Joe Bannister has also told The Malta Independent that he is not ready to resign and that “the chairman has no access to supervisory reports. Please check the MFSA Act.”