Malta is still seen as being toothless in its fight against money laundering, former Prime Minister Alfred Sant said today.

In a post on Facebook, the Labour MEP said that Malta has a lot more to do to gain credibility in its fight against money laundering.

The scepticism that is shown to Malta from abroad on this matter is still strong, he said. Declarations made are appreciated but are not deemed to be credible.

Malta is considered as a country with weak monitoring and institutions, they are like toothless dogs, he said. And the suspicions are that the teeth were removed on purpose.

Sant said he was not referring to primadonnas as the Council of Europe rapporteur, but technical people of great value who work in silence.

It is misleading to say that the problem was brought about by the Labour Party. It has been there since the Gonzi government and even before, he said.

The problem is not solved easily, but by having institutions that can bite, and bite quickly, not when the money laundering nests are emptied, he said.