THE FATE OF DOMINICA'S FINANCIAL CRIMINALS iS NOW INEXTRICABLY INTERTWINED WITH THOSE OF MALTA

 

 While many court observers are closely watching for indictments to appear in the Malta money laundering investigation, there is another aspect to the investigation that has been overlooked: the connection between financial criminals in the Republic of Malta and their associates in the Commonwealth of Dominica. It is that criminal connection which will result in the indictment of individuals in Dominica who are engaged in money laundering and corrupt activities, due to their ongoing relationship with co-conspirators in Malta.

While there are few publicly-available facts to support this conclusion, reliable sources inside Dominica have reported that there were multiple international telephone conversations, and electronic mail exchanges, between senior government officials, and those in the public sector, located in Roseau, Dominica's capital, and their partners in crime in Malta, immediately after it became known in Malta that there were cooperating individuals, as well as whistle blowers, providing incriminating information on money laundering activities.Given that there is zero legitimate commerce between the two countries, and the parties ob both ends have a long history of criminal conduct, the content of those conversations becomes of topical interest.

Add to this the evidence available in the public domain that establishes the link between bad actors in both nations, and you have a presumption that all contact must be for illicit purposes:

(1) The CEO of Malta's now-shuttered Pilatus Bank, whose massive money laundering activities have been well established, an Iranian national, HAMIDREZA GHANBARI, holds a Citizenship by Investment (CBI) passport.

(2) The fugitive Colombian money launderer, allegedly the principal laundryman for Venezuela's elite and government officials, had two offshore banks incorporated in Dominica, ASA BANK AND TRUST & FGC BANK AND TRUST. ALEX SAAB MORAN is also linked to Elemento Ltd., a known Malta corporate entity recently sanctioned by OFAC.

(3) The convicted Swiss banker & money launderer, MATTHIAS KRULL, who laundered the proceeds of crime for Venezuelan clients in Miami, also moves over $100m through Malta. Those same Venezuelan organizations have consistently utilized Domincia as an offshore jurisdiction of convenience.

It is not known to what extent Dominica laundrymen and corruption facilitators will ultimately appear in the Malta money laundering case, but due to the transnational nature of their efforts to clean the proceeds of crime, rest assure that a number of Dominica nationals will be included as co-defendants. Dominica's laundrymen will soon find themselves in a case they had not idea would involve them.