MALTA'S PRIME MINISTER MISREPRESENTED THAT THE OPPOSITION WAS SURPRISED THAT THE FATF GREYLISTED MALTA

 

Still pulling the Strings  by COSIMO

                                              

In a recent interview with Maltese media, in connection with an expected upcoming visit from representatives of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Prime Minister Robert Abela stated that both his party, Labour, and the Opposition, the Nationalist Party (PN), were "surprised" when the country was Greylisted  by the international regulatory organization. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Nationalist Party, through its leaders, head, for months warned the public that Greylisting was imminent, due to the fact that Malta's government had not charged any of the individuals widely known to be engaged in money laundering, including the former PM, Joseph Muscat, his wife, Michelle Muscat, and several of the former, and sitting, ministers in the Cabinet. The fantasy weaved by Labour leaders, that The favourable MONEYVAL assessment would give the FATF sufficient grounds to decline Greylisting, was just that, a political ploy to deceive the voters.

Furthermore, this blog repeatedly agreed with the PN assessment, and stated that Greylisting was coming, and that Malta must start enforcing its anti-money laundering laws, or become Europe's first EU member to the Greylisted. We cannot emphasize enough that there was sufficient warning from PN, and to state otherwise is to lie to the Maltese public. 

Do not believe for one minute that the FATF, in the absence of actual money laundering indictments, that actually will go to trial, conviction and sentencing to substantial prison time, will let Malta off the hook. Malta, your voters have been fed a steady stream of lies and disinformation about the FATF from the beginning, and the situation will get worse before it gets better. Wake up, before your country turns into another Beirut, drowning in corruption, debt and strife, and bankrupt, without any industry to keep it afloat.