While all of Malta debates the fallout from the release of the report on the effect of the country's "Culture of Impunity," which led to the assassination of its principal investigative journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia, disgraced former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat appears to be living in Turkey, raising the question of why he has chosen to do so. He seems to be artfully concealing his location from everyone.
Following upon our recent article detailing his whereabouts, we have received a second report, from eyewitnesses, confirming that two members of the Muscat family, his wife Michelle, and one daughter, were reported to be in Turkey. Our original information, that Joseph Muscat was indeed living in Turkey at this time, came from a reliable source. He is definitely there.
Let us consider why he may be in Turkey:
1. Given Turkey's strained relationship with the United States, Muscat may have been advised by counsel to relocate there, as the chances of his extradition to America are slim. Turkey has appealed a New York
District Court's decision to proceed against government-owned Halkbank; Turkish citizen and oil-for-gold Iran sanctions evader Reza Zarrab was convicted in SDNY, before commencing cooperation.Halkbank's Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors was also convicted, and served time in a Federal Prison; Rudy Guiliani, formerly ex-president Trump's personal lawyer, was involved in trying to quash both cases, while working for Turkey, in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). It is therefore doubtful that Turkey would honor an American extradition petition for Muscat.
2. Given that Pilatus Bank, Ali Sadr's money laundering Malta-based financial institution, had a virtual branch in the UK, which facilitated the movement of the Proceeds of Crime, it is likely that Pilatus which Muscat was closely linked to, may have had an unofficial, or otherwise named, affiliate or branch in Turkey. Maltese Customs officials are regularly seizing bulk cash Euros being smuggled to Istanbul. Is Muscat working with the Pilatus successors ?
3. Has the massive organized money laundering machine that moved funds for its clients moved it operation to Turkey, where American and British investigators would be hard-pressed to investigate it, let along have any influence on suppressing it ?
Believe me, Muscat's not in Turkey for his retirement; he is engaged in something, and we shall shortly find out what it is.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.