READ THE COMPLETE TRANSLATION OF THE AFFIDAVIT IN THE REPUBBLIKA/POLICE COMMISSIONER CASE

Readers who are following the unfolding developments in the Repubblika action to compel the Malta Police to arrest the officers and directors of the now-shuttered money laundering Pilatus Bank, and who do not read Maltese, we direct your attention below to our unofficial translation of the affidavit, by attorney Jason Azzopardi, that has commanded the attention of everyone in Malta:

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"I am aware that at the Court sitting on the 28th October, 2021, various witnesses gave a court deposition under oath. One of these was Mr. MEHMET TASLI. He's the Operations Supervisor at Piloted Bank. This is the same person that seven months previously was ordered to be arrested by the inquiring magistrate of the Pilatus Bank magisterial inquiry.The inquiring magistrate ordered the Prosecutor-General to prosecute Mr. Tasli on money laundering charges, criminal association, and forming part of an organization that was involved in criminal activity. The inquiring magistrate had ordered an international arrest warrant against him seven months before.The arrest warrant was against Mr. Tasli and other managers and directors at Pilatus Bank. 

I hereby solemnly declare that from all evidence known to me, the magistrate conducting the court sitting on the 28th October was not made aware of the pending arrest warrants against the witness (Mr. Tasli).

I am, however duly informed that:

During the court deposition of Pilatus Bank on the 28th October, two lawyers from the Attorney General's Office were present. These same lawyers asked the witness questions in the dock (Controesami). This same witness should have been arrested as per the magisterial inquiry conclusions against Pilatus Bank. However, he was let go like nothing happened.

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I can confirm (from information that I received) that after an ex-Pilatus employee and Pilatus Bank were independently charged in court, Pilatus Bank put forward a motion against the Attorney General to cancel the freezing order on the bank. This motion to cancel the freezing order was presented on 2nd September, 2021.

From information I have received, both the ex-Pilatus employee and the same bank were both charged in court after the conclusion of the magisterial inquiry on the same bank that cost the State of Malta 7.5 million Euros to include. Public funds were used to conclude this inquiry.

The magisterial in query also ordered the Attorney General to charge all bank directors and the operations officers apart from the bank itself and the ex-Pilatus employee that was consequently charged. Confidential police sources had also informed me that international arrest warrants against all these individuals had already been signed.

Many of these individuals on the international warrants had already testified in front of the magistrate in the motion presented by Pilatus Bank to cancel the freezing order, so they could effect certain payments by the same bank.

This motion was presented on the 12 October, 2021, with the acts of the case compiled by the Attorney General. At the sitting on the 28th October, the motion was presented by the bank against the Attorney General, to cancel the freezing order to effect certain payments. "

/s/ JASON AZZOPARDI