FBI SEEKS TO INTERVIEW JOSEPH MUSCAT, OTHER MALTESE LEADERS, REGARDING PILATUS BANK CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES

 

                                              JM Fears the Future  by COSIMO

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has requested to interview former Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, as well as a number of other present and former senior leaders of the Maltese government. The topic of the interviews is known to be an investigation into criminal activities at the now-shuttered Pilatus Bank of Malta, which was known for money laundering, washing the proceeds of funds diverted by corrupt foreign PEPs, and moving bribes and kickbacks paid to corrupt government officials. The source of this information has a long record of proven credibility in the past, originating from law enforcement,  and we believe it to be true.

The source of the information leading to the interview requests is known to be evidence obtained from Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad, the Iranian former owner of Pilatus Bank, who is believed to have been granted immunity from further US prosecution, due to the significant value of his cooperation. Ali Sadr was convicted, after a jury trial, but his conviction was set aside after the court found Brady violations ( failure of US to disclose information relevant to his conviction or sentencing), in a controversial result that left many questions unanswered about what really happened. Nevertheless, it is clear that he has supplied massive amounts of information about Pilatus Bank's criminal activities.

The other individuals who are also the subject of the interviews have not been specifically identified, but they are believed to include, but not be limited to:

KEITH SCHEMBRI

CHRTISTIAN CARDONA

EDWARD ZAMMIT LEWIS

EDWARD SCICLUNA 

CARMELO ABELA

OWEN BONNICI

IAN BORG

The fact that the FBI chose not to approach Minister of Justice Edward Zammit Lewis with its request may be due to the fact that Lewis is reportedly a target of its investigation. There have been widespread calls for his resignation lately, after disclosures of the existence of hundreds of email communications with the principal target in the assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

                                     Malta; Descending into Chaos by COSIMO

There has been massive public support for the expulsion of Joseph Muscat from the Labour Party, after the release of a report blaming his administration for creating a "Culture of Impunity" that allowed the participants to believe that they could commit murder and escape accountability. Muscat is still believed to be in Turkey, with his entire family, and could choose to evade the interview.  Given his long history of denying the truth, in his prior testimony in Malta, it is doubtful that he will agree to return home, for it is a felony under US Federal criminal law if an individual being interviewed commits Perjury when speaking to a US law enforcement official. He may have been ordered to remain in Turkey, on advice of criminal defence attorneys in the United States, concerned about his ability to survive such an interview intact. 

It is possible that the interviews are merely pretexts to allow law enforcement to detain and arrest Muscat and the others, for if there are any indictments pending against them already, in America, they would be sealed and unavailable to the public or the media. there have been persistent rumours that such indictment indeed exist.

The other targets are all known to reside in Malta, with the possible exception of Chris Cardona, who has set up an office in Dubai, UAE, though it is not known if this is a permanent relocation. We regret that there is no additional information available at this time, but we shall be closely monitoring the the situation, and shall report on all unfolding developments as they occur.