WILL THE LAWYERS INVOLVED IN MALTA MONEY LAUNDERING OPERATIONS BE INDICTED WITH THEIR CLIENTS ?

 

One question that remains unanswered in the ongoing Malta money laundering investigation: whether any of the attorneys who assisted their criminal clients in  setting up, and operating, full-service money laundering schemes have been named, or will be named, as defendants in the indictments ? We are talking about counsel, not in government service, who are engaged in civil practice, aiding and abetting their clients who move & clean the proceeds of crime, whether their own, or those of others.

Lawyers that form shell corporations, employ their staff to front as as registered agents, officers and directors, thus concealing the identities of their clients, and help cover up their clients' criminal acts, are as guilty as the laundrymen themselves, in the eyes of American Federal Criminal Law. They conspire to assist in criminal conduct. Though they may never personally handle one filthy Dollar or Euro, our conspiracy laws will reach out and tough them.

One more point: the Crime or Fraud Exception to the Attorney-Client Privilege holds that, where the attorney is involved in assisting the client to commit criminal acts, the privilege does not apply, even if he or she does not know that his legal work facilitated crime. When any of the Malta money laundering defendants choose to cooperate with law enforcement, to lessen their sentences, their cooperation will not be blocked if they are attorneys testifying against their dirty clients. We wonder if the principal defendants are aware of that rule of law, given that there are a number of cooperators already enjoying immunity from prosecution.

in any event , we will know soon enough whose lives will forever be changed by the rude awakening when justice touches down in Valletta.