While the government has received a draft of the Moneyval report, Prime Minister Robert Abela said that there is still work to be done over the next couple of months until the final report is issued.
Abela was being interviewed by journalists on Sunday, where he was asked about the Moneyval report.
In September 2019, Moneyval, the European branch of the Financial Action Task Force, or FATF, ruled that Malta remains highly exposed to illicit finance but lacks the resources and infrastructure required to prosecute and seize assets from money launderers and the criminals they serve. Malta had until October to implement Moneyval's 58 recommendations for bolstering its campaign against financial crime to avoid inclusion on the group's "grey list" of high-risk jurisdictions. Being placed on the grey list would be a death knell for Malta's financial services industry especially. The government submitted its final progress report to the Moneyval experts on 5 October.
Abela admitted that the country received a draft report, but said "that now the country will enter the crucial stage - May and June - until the final FATF report is issued. The crucial message there, is that a number of changes in the regulatory regime on financial services were made, mainly on resisting financial crime and on fighting against the financing of terrorism, where we show that all that was said about our country even prior to 2012, we have worked on and made all the needed changes."
He said that the government issued 48 pieces of legislation and legal amendments. "But my main message is that 2-3 months of important work remain."
He said that the PN attacked the country. "They said they would pull same rope on Moneyval. I gave them benefit of doubt but they didn't deserve it. In March they started attacking in the EU Parliament, making allegations to try and make Malta not pass this crucial stage."
He said that this is not the time to be euphoric. "There is work still left to do but this is message I wanted to make. We will continue working to pass the stage that Malta won't be greylisted and I believe that with a lot of work we can reach that point. I never want this situation to repeat itself in this country and, after June, we will continue making changes to strengthen anti-money laundering." He spoke about not going back to the structural deficiencies seen in the past.
The Prime Minister was also asked about the new Covid-19 restrictions announced on Sunday. He said that the government's strategy is to attack through the use of the vaccine, while defending the population from the virus through such measures.
"The strategy to intensify vaccinations while introducing new measures saw positive results," he explained. He highlighted that there has been a reduction in the number of infections over the past days, as well as the stabilisation in terms of the number of people who required medical care in the ITU.
He highlighted that there is a public holiday on Wednesday, followed by the Easter holidays, and said that it would not be prudent to put at risk all that was achieved. He highlighted that this is not the time to relax measures, and said that it is crucial to continue protecting each other during this period.
He spoke about there having been over 4,000 fines issued since the beginning of March by the authorities for Covid-19 related breaches, and urged everyone to follow the regulations and remain vigilant.
He highlighted how the government has invested in people and in businesses. He said that due to the pandemic, the government income through taxes has reduced substantially, but believes that since the government measures enabled people to keep working, and keep employment, that businesses will be able to hit the ground running.
He was asked about Keith Schembri being charged in court, and the PL's prior defence of Schembri and whether he is trying to close the book on the past years.
Abela responded that the government wants to continue building on the good that was created in the past eight years and is not closing the book on those years. Despite the mistakes made, the work to improve the quality of life of people was at the forefront, he said.
He spoke of the good done during the pandemic, protecting jobs.
Abela said that there were bad things that could have been handled better, and said through the government's actions in the last 15 months they are showing that it is a closed chapter and that it will not happen again.
On Schembri, Abela said that he was one of 11 people who was charged in court. "The prosecution in his case and others shows that the institutions are working. That we have an FIAU and Economics Crimes unit that work, that the courts are functioning, that the Police Commissioner is functioning."
He said that the government stands behind the institutions and will not interfere in their work.
He spoke of not closing eyes to criminality, regardless of who the person is. "This is a government that is determined to be a force for good."
Abela also slammed Opposition Leader Bernard Grech for saying he would offer a pardon to Yorgen Fenech. He said that there are PN MPs who are collaborating with those who are defending criminals who want a pardon.