WTF IS HAPPENING IN THE US PILATUS BANK LETTERS ROGATORY CASE ??

In re Pilatus Bank PLC,  the Leters Rogatory (Discovery request) matter, in which the bank is seeking information for its pending EU action to reinstate its license, as well as a proposed civil suit for bamages against the European Central Bank, remains a mystery.What is the status, we ask ?

Here's what we know:

(1) the District Judge gave the bank until just before Christmas to amend, and to serve Lawrence Connell, the Competent Person in the Malta Pilatus Bank disposition. If there was no service, then the case would stand dismissed.

(2) Notwithstanding this, Pilatus' Miami attorneys served Connell AFTER the deadline, which  may or may not stand. The Court has not yet been requested to reinstate the case, nor has it acted Sue Sponte ( on its own) to do so.

(3) Now, the parties have executed  Stipulation to extend time for Connell to respond to the Amended Petition. There is a section for the Court to approve of the Stipulation, but to date we have not seen it do so.

Question: Does the Court still have jurisdiction over the action? We cannot say.but we wish somebody would seek some judicial guidance in the way of a ruling. Also, is Connell going to fight compliance with the Discovery request ?  Please, let's get some answers. 

 

 

YOU KNOW THE LEGAL TIDAL WAVE IS COMING WHEN ...

 

You know things are about to happen to the Malta money laundering targets when a South Florida criminal defense attorney, who handles White Collar Crime, is advertising on the website of the leading Malta newspaper; I guess the word is out. While it might be considered improper to disclose his name, the lawyer appears to be of Italian heritage. We wonder who tipped him off ?

THE BLOG WILL EXPAND INTO TWO SECTIONS FOR THE US CRIMINAL CASES INVOLVING MALTA

 

                                                  The Laundry Man (Polish Edition)

 

We are going to devote a Special Section of this Blog to the criminal cases that are soon to be filed, so that readers may go directly to the information. Case status, recent developments, and our analysis will all be covered. needless to say, this expansion of our material each day means that we need your help in expanding our coverage.

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CORRUPT APPOINTMENT OF NEW COMPETENT PERSON IN PILATUS BANK WIND DOWN LINKS DIRECTLY TO JOSEPH MUSCAT AND ALI SADR HASHEMI NEJAD

 

 While Malta media is slowly waking up to the idea that there's something very rotten about the MFSA appointment of ROBERT ANCILLERI as Competent Person in the Pilatus Bank matter, given that he was, in January, appointed an Non-Executive Director of DF Consultancy Services, part of DF Advocates,  Sadr's attorneys, there's so much more that makes the appointment unfit for any purpose:

(1) While he resigned from that directorship, the Conflict of Interest still stands, by any objective measure.

(2) DF is very close to former minister, and Muscat associate, CHRIS CARDONA; they worked for him when he held ministerial rank.

(3) Government officials who are Labour Party Members were so quick to fill in the shoes of Lawrence Connell, so that Sadr's attorneys no longer need the Discovery case in the United States;  thet can get all the information they need for Ancilleri, who is a known friend of Sadr's Malta attorneys.

(4)  We understand that Connell was sharing his information and evidence with American law enforcement investigators; did he resign due to the pressure of the Federal lawsuit, and other non-record activity ? We understand that Connell's cooperation was making Joseph Muscat extremely nervous.

(5) There have been repeated rumours to the effect that Sadr has threatened Muscat and his associates in government with public exposure of all of Pilatus' dark money laundering secrets, including Egrant, and that is why he has not been, nor will he be, charged with cleaning dirty money at the bank. Sadr 's evidence could put Michelle Muscat in prison for a very long time, and he could testify about bribes paid to secure, on a fast-track basis, the Pilatus banking license.

Ancilleri should be immediately replaced with an experienced accounting and banking professional who is not under the thumb of Joseph Muscat and his Merry Men of corruption. To do any less marks Malta, again, as the most corrupt government in the European Union.

 

WHY DID FINANCIAl PROFESSIONAL OVERSEEING WINDING UP OF PILATUS BANK SUDDENLY RESIGN ?

 

LAWRENCE CONNELL, appointed in March 2018 as the Competent Person assigned to manage the affairs of Malta's Pilatus Bank, abruptly resigned his office, in the wake of a failed effort by the bank's shareholder, the Iranian businessman ALI SADR HASHEMI NEJAD, to obtain Discovery from Connell, through judicial proceedings filed in an American Federal Court. No reason has been publicly given for the resignation, which was effective forthwith, and which raises serious questions regarding the circumstances surrounding that decision. Was there pressure exerted upon Connell, to resign, and if so by whom ? The dismissed US case indicated that Pilatus wanted him to provide evidence used to cancel the bank's license by the European Central Bank (ECB).

Malta's financial regulator, the MFSA, immediately appointed the Maltese accountant/auditor, ROBERT ANCILLERI. There is no indication that he was selected from a list of qualified accounting professionals who were available for the position. Ancilleri, who is known to be close to the Labour Party, although he is not a registered Member, could therefore be subject to undue influence from party leadership, or government officials who are Labour Party Members. 

If Ancilleri, for any reason, chooses to withhold, or fails to locate and produce, evidence unfavorable to Pilatus Bank, the outcome of the pending Annulment action against the ECB, seeking to reinstate its banking license, it may affect the outcome. Rampant corruption, which infects literally all court and administrative proceedings involving Malta, could result in the bank's reinstatement, notwithstanding a Magistrate's report, concluding that there was massive money laundering in the bank.

This matter is yet another reason for the Magistrate's Report on Pilatus Bank, which reportedly recommends that all of the bank's directors, its senior officers, and the Money Laundering Reporting Officer, be charged with money laundering. The Attorney General is known to have received the Report, but is reportedly sitting on it, as it allegedly recommends charges against JOSEPH MUSCAT, the country's disgraced ex-Prime Minister, as well as others living and working in Malta.

 

 

ARE THE SEVEN OTHER DEFENDANTS IN MATTHIAS KRULL'S MIAMI MONEY LAUNDERING CASE ALSO LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO TESTIFY AGAINST ?

Perhaps the targets in the Malta money laundering investigations might want to pay closer attention to the Matthias Krull Miami Federal case, as our recent review of the case file reveals that several of the seven other defendants may also possibly be testifying against them in new Miami, New York or DC cases:

The other defendants: 

(1) FRANCISCO CONVIT GURUCEAGA

(2) JOSE VICENTE AMPARAN CROQUER

(3) CARMELO URDANETA AQUI

(4) ABRAHAM EDGARDO ORTEGA

(5) GUSTAVO ADOLFO HERNANDEZ FRIERI

(6) HUGO ANDRE RAMALHO GOIS

(7) MARCELO FEDERICO GUTIERREZ ACOSTA Y LARA

                                                                                                                                                                           

Here's what I learned from my review:

(1) Most have pled guilty to money laundering and other related offenses.

((2) Their sentencing dates have been postponed or have curiously not been scheduled.

(2) Many of them have documents and filings sealed by the Court.

(3) Many of them have cooperated in agreeing to government forfeiture of their real estate assets.

Meanwhile, MATTHIAS KRULL, whom we already know needs to find a way to have his ten year Federal Prison sentence reduced, was granted a Christmas holiday in Orlando, which required an order from a District Judge. it is only the most recent of many court-approved trips out of Southern Florida, where he is restricted to, by virtue of his bond status. 

There's nothing in the court file to indicate what links exist between the other defendants in the Krull case and Malta, because of all those guilty pleas, but given the broad nature of Federal Conspiracy laws, one must understand that, even if these individuals never met the Malta targets, that their evidence will be relevant, and very damaging. I doubt that many of the targets in Malta understand their situation. 

 

 

 

WHAT WILL MALTA'S DO-NOTHING MINISTER OF JUSTICE DO WHEN THE PILATUS BANKS MAGISTERIAL REPORT IS LEAKED TO THE PRESS ?

                                                          Pilatus who ? Never heard of it.
 

Malta's intentionally inept Minister of Justice, Edward Zammit Lewis, has lashed out at the Shadow Minister for Justice Jason Azzopardi for having the temerity to ask for confirmation that the Magistrate's Report on  Pilatus Bank, which recommends charging bank officers, directors and MLRO with money laundering, is in the hands of the Attorney General. It's called "Shoot the Messenger," and it is what corrupt government officials in Malta do when their refusal to arrest their friends and associates is mentioned in public. They lash out any anyone with the courage to ask the hard questions.

Malta's Justice Minister is a joke; his office refuses to charge anyone affiliated with the country's ruling Labour Party with money laundering, lest that lucrative sideline be denied to them. What will happen when the Magistrate's Report  on Pilatus appears in the global press, because it is now in the hands of overseas recipients who have the intention of releasing it at a very bad time for Malta's corrupt leadership ? Rest assured that we have been advised by the holder of that report that release to the foreign press is coming soon.

Whether Zammit Lewis ends up being charged with a corruption offense in another country we cannot say, but he certainly deserves some payback in Malta for slow-walking, and even feeezing, any justice when it comes to money laundering, as Malta is currently deserving of the title" Money Laundering Capital of the European Union."  Lewis should he brought to justice forthwith.

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JOSEPH MUSCAT HAS DROPPED OUT OF SIGHT

 

                                                 Joseph Muscat by COSIMO
 

  Malta's beleaguered former Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, is nowhere to be found. He has completely dropped out of sight, and he may have permanently departed from Malta. Most observers believe that he is in Dubai, UAE, where his much-publicized no-show job offer awaits. Others claim that his final destination is Qatar, where he had patrons when he was PM.

In any event, with US criminal charges believed to be imminent, expect Muscat to be underground, seeking to evade arrest and extradition. Have any of our readers seen him overseas ? if so, feel free to take his picture and send it to us at : miamicompliance@gmail.com

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FUGITIVE FORMER SAUDI INTELLIGENCE OFFICER LIVING IN CANADA HAS A MALTA CBI PASSPORT

 

 

As many readers are aware, the Government of the Republic of Malta recently released its list of foreign nationals who received their IIM ( Citizenship by Investment) passports in 2019. Among them local media found SAAD BIN KHALID AL-JABRI, formerly a senior counter-terrorism official in the Ministry of the Interior, as well as his wife and children. Al-Jabri, who is wanted in Saudi Arabia on charges relating to  theft of $11bn in state funds, has been living in Canada for an unknown number of years. Two of his adult children, still living in Saudi Arabia, also hold IIM passports. It is not known whether he has used his Malta passport to evade arrest and extradition.

It appears that Al-Jabri obtained his CBI passport without fulfilling the requirements of one year actual residency, and making continued investments in Malta. Additionally, for a period prior to his application, he was subject to an INTERPOL Red Notice, which calls for his arrest, which is grounds for disqualification of applicants. Many  IIP passport holders have been found to have received their travel documents despite  being unqualified for application, due to a number of reasons.

The European Union has repeatedly called upon Malta to cancel its IIP program, due to the fact that it facilitates money laundering and financial crime within the EU, and that such programs should not exist among Member nations. Malta has declined, alleging that it has now added additional protections to reduce the risk of financial crime. The pending MONEYVAL evaluation of Malta will most likely address the passport issue in it soon to be released report and probable imposition of sanctions.  

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SADR SERVES THE COMPETENT PERSON AFTER HIS US CASE IS CLOSED

 The Miami attorneys for Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad, the Iranian owner of Malta's closed Pilatus Bank PLC apparently think that they can persuade the judge in US District Court, to set aside his order, which closed Sadr's Discovery petition for failure to service the respondent within a set date. They caused a summons to be issued after the case was ordered closed, and still later (January 8) effectuated service of process. What's wrong with this picture ?

I honestly don't know if this is zealous attorney advocacy, or an arrogant client insisting that they try to get a third bite of the legal apple, to obtain evidence, ostensibly to be used to gather evidence for a suit against the European Central Bank, and to, amazingly reinstate the bank's license. In truth and in fact, the bask operated as a money laundering clearinghouse, and arrests in Malta have been promised by local authorities to be imminent. The bank's license has no chance to be reinstated. In fact, Sadr has not taken any steps to move to set aside the Court's order that dismissed the petition.

It's bad enough that Sadr, through his New York attorneys, is asserting that he was exonerated, when his sanctions violation and money laundering case was dismissed for Discovery errors; now, Sadr wants to recover damages from the ECB. he has no claim, based upon the facts.

When will those clowns who are the leaders in the Malta Police file criminal charges against the owners, officers and directors of Pilatus Bank, as they have promised ? No wonder Sadr filed his US civil suit, nobody is moving against him, because of rampant corruption in Malta. Obviously, Joseph Muscat put the word out; delay the matter indefinitely. 

 

 

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THE TWO JOSEPHS, MUSCAT AND MIFSUD, AND A MYSTERIOUS RUSSIAN WHISTLEBLOWER

                                               Who was doing favors for whom, we ask ?

There's a lot we don't know about the connections between former Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and certain Russian nationals who had accounts at the now-closed Pilatus Bank PLC. How many were agents of Russian intelligence, and precisely what were they doing in Malta ? Muscat is known to have become visibly upset when an associate brought up the subject while he was serving as PM. We believe that he fears them, due to information about their activities that he is aware of.

                                                      Joseph Mifsud  by COSIMO

  Then, add into the mix the elusive Maltese professor, Joseph Mifsud, repeatedly implicated in the leaking of Hillary Clinton 's emails, and Russian interference in the 2016 elections, another reputed Moscow intelligence agent whose relationship to Muscat keeps showing up in our investigation. Mifsud reportedly introduced Muscat to Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister; where that meeting went we surely would like to know.

                                                           Joseph Muscat's documented relationship

Why is this important ? Buried in the massive investigation, we have been advised that there is, for lack of a better term, a Russian whistleblower, who has supplied evidence to law enforcement. How do Russians figure into the Malta money laundering cases, we ask. Remember, it was the fact that Papadopoulos worked for Mifsud that seemingly first drove the FBI to pay attention to Malta. There are also a cast of the Usual Suspects ;  Middlemen and front men in local laundering operations, some of whom are said to be represent several nationalities, may have included the so-called " "Second Whistleblower" amongst them.

While there is no means of accessing the details, soon to be unsealed indictments  in US courts, the Russian factor may be more prominent than has been publicly disclosed.

 

 

 

MALTA NERVOUSLY AWAITS THE LEGAL TSUNAMI

 

                                            The Tsunami comes ashore on Malta's beach.

  It's coming soon, and the known targets of the Malta money laundering investigation are coping by taking sleeping pills nightly, and consuming anti-depressants. For years, they have been immune from criminal prosecution on their own country, due to rampant corruption and influence peddling that has infected the court system, the Malta Police, and all government prosecutors. The arrangement made them bulletproof, or so they thought, for what foreign jurisdiction would deign to seek to extradite them for international crimes, knowing of the inherent delays that would occur in Malta's courts, if requests were made from abroad.

The Malta targets, however made a fatal mistake;  in the arrogance that often comes with major financial success in criminal ventures, they neglected to avoid criminal transactions with the nationals of a country that has broad criminal conspiracy laws, and laws held to have extraterritorial application. A foreign jurisdiction, in charging its own nationals, simply added the Maltese co-conspirators to the indictments, and what Malta's corrupt leaders though would never happen, did in fact come to pass.

 Obviously, they failed to consider the consequences of committing transnational crimes that violate US laws, with American citizens or residents. It would appear that they did not receive useful advice from their attorneys. Whether their lawyers failed to consider the international implications, or chose not to be a party to any matter involving the rendering of any advice on how to evade criminal liability we cannot say, but now the targets are looking at the arriving legal tsunami, and, failing to cooperate early on  to mitigate their exposure,  they have no means of escape.

 

WITHOUT READER SUPPORT, OUR EXPANDED COVERAGE OF THE MALTA MONEY LAUNDERING CASES WILL BE ON A SUBSCRIPTION BASIS

 

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CAPE VERDE APPEALS COURT SAYS ALEX SAAB MORAN CAN BE EXRADITED TO THE UNITED STATES TO FACE MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES

 According to published reports, The Cape Verde Court of Appeal of Barlavento has enter an order approving the extradition of reputed Colombian money launderer ALEX NAIN SAAB MORAN to Miami, to face massive money laundering charges in Federal Court. This ruling approves a lower court ruling from August.  Apparently, the Court did not buy the arguments that he would not receive a fair trial, and that the charged were politically motivated.

It seems that Saab has one more appellate avenue to exhaust, the Supreme Court of Justice.