Identity Malta has said that the allegations against it in relation to potential electoral fraud are “unfounded.”

The state entity was reacting to allegations made by a former Labour Party activist in a court application as part of a corruption case centred around the top officials at Transport Malta.

The activist turned whistleblower claimed knowledge of kickbacks in an illegal identity and citizenship scheme. Maltese citizens of foreign nationality, it was alleged, were not issued with a death certificate upon their demise, but instead were transferred onto other naturalised persons with the intention of having them vote for Labour.

Adel Ali Hassan claimed his residence permit was revoked in October 2021 after having refused to assist the then-minister responsible for identity and citizenship, Alex Muscat, in his electoral campaign for 2022.

However Identity Malta categorically denied the allegations made in the court application, and said that the man’s residence permit in Malta was not revoked but was not renewed by himself.

Identity Malta also denied that the Public Registry did not process death notifications, saying that the registry processes any such notifications according to established procedures, which includes the picking up of the ID card of the deceased.

Earlier in the day, the Electoral Commission said that it had nothing to do with the identity card process, but said that it was closely following the case and the allegations and that it is willing to cooperate in any investigation or procedure which may be opened on the case.