MALTA'S SIX MONTH DELAY IN DISCLOSING ENGAGEMENT OF ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING ASSISTANCE SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT ITS LACK OF TRANSPARENCY

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna.

Six months after the Government of Malta engaged the services of a global AML/CFT consultancy, the country's Finance Minister, Edward Scicluna belatedly disclosed the fact that it had paid  over two million Euros, for services designed to bring Malta into compliance with the EU Money laundering Directive, and to combat terrorist financing.

Malta, where systemic corruption, inclusion  by its officials in the Panama Papers, the Pilatus Bank scandal, and the reputed abuse of its CBI passports by criminals and dirty PEPs, does not need any more secrecy about the steps it is taking to clean up its act. Was the Finance Minister afraid that advising the Maltese public, who he is supposed to serve, might wonder what else had not been made public ? we trust that any other remedial action being taken will be transparent, and not hiding in the closet somewhere, Mr. Minister.