MALTESE LEADER ROSIANNE CUTAJAR NAMED AS UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION FOR SUSPECTED MONEY LAUNDERING IN DUBAI, UAE

Rosianne Cutajar by COSIMO

The controversial Maltese politician, and senior member of her country's Parliament, ROSIANNE CUTAJAR, has been named in reports  in local media as being under investigation, by the police Financial Crimes Unit, for bulk cash smuggling and money laundering in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A frequent subject of corruption allegations in the media, including on this blog, Cutajar's political standing amongst voters has repeatedly taken a hit after repeated news of her criminal misconduct, involving her receipt of what are obvious bribes and kickbacks, has surfaced on the country's major media, which is more or less censored by the ruling Labour Party (PL). Her relationship with local businessman YORGEN FENECH, charged in the assassination of investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia, which included allegedly corrupt acts on her part, has made her the poster girl for corruption in Malta.

The information in the public sphere includes details or Cutajar's multiple trips to Dubai, bringing with her paper bags containing cash far in excess of her reported income and assets, and depositing them into bank accounts there, which was disclosed this week, may finally bring an end to her political career, notwithstanding her possible indictment in Malta for financial crime. Repeatedly accused of arrogance in her conduct, and of being in complete disregard of Malta's strict moral principles, these new accusations come at a time when the popularity of the country's ruling Labour Party has descended to a new low.

Of course, the fact that she successfully and illegally moved cash from Malta, and into Dubai, makes one wonder where customs authorities were during all these trips, and could be regarded as critical of Dubai law enforcement, and its bankers, as she is a PEP, Politically Exposed Person, whose activities must be closely monitored.Whether Cutajar will be charged in Malta, where corruption often trumps law enforcement, and whether she has fallen out of favour with PL, resulting in the very public disclosure of this money laundering investigation, remains an open question, but we will be watching.