THE PILATUS BANK SCANDAL STAINED MALTA'S LAW ENFORCEMENT REPUTATION, AND RAISED SERIOUS QUESTIONS IN THE U.S.A., AFTER A MAJOR CASE WAS DROPPED

Witness2 by AELX CEPPI. www.alexceppi.com

We have written extensively, regarding the scandal involving the Iranian-owned PILATUS BANK, a private bank, political corruption & money laundering scandal in the Republic of Malta. Maltese authorities failed charge any of the major players implicated; Caribbean Citizenship by Investment (CBI) passports, issued by Saint Kitts & Nevis, and the Commonwealth of Dominica, were used by the CEO, HAMIDREZA GHANBARI and owner ALI SADR HASHEMINEJAD, in lieu of their Iranian passports. As time marches on however, the Statute of Limitations looms large over any future criminal prosecution in Malta, and justice will most likely be denied.

While the story is too well known to repeat it here, there is still one pending matter of consequence; ALPENA LTD., Pilatus Bank's purported parent entity, sued the Republic of Malta in 2021, through the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).  That case, filed after the bank's license was revoked, and its fund frozen, remains pending after five years.

One other loose end: the criminal case against Hasheminejad in the United States was dismissed, even after a conviction was secured, ostensibly because the US Attorney's Office (SDNY) failed to disclose certain discovery favorable to the defense, which constituted a Brady violation (Brady vs. Maryland). I still have questions, regarding whether there was another, darker, reason the case was dismissed. Did the defendant evade justice, because he provided critical information, to our intelligence services, and why is he still living in the United States? Readers who are not familiar with this aspect should review my article, DOJ REPORT REQUIRED IN THE ALI SADR CASE REGARDING BRADY ISSUES IS RELEASED https://lnkd.in/egzitYrS

Perhaps the current war in Iran might cause a reexamination of the Pilatus Bank case; justice will be denied if it is swept under the rug.