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Top Officials Accused in Fraudulent ID Card Scheme Amidst Scandalous Revelations
Last changed: August 02 2024 13:52 by PCLMedia
A police inspector was transferred to another department while planning to arraign top political officials on charges of masterminding a racket, lawyer Jason Azzopardi claimed in a sworn application on Friday.
The racket allegedly saw the issuing of an estimated 18,000 Maltese ID cards to third country nationals on the basis of fake documentation and false declarations.
It is just one of several explosive claims laid out in the urgent 59-page sworn application requesting a magisterial inquiry, that was filed earlier this week by lawyer Jason Azzopardi in his personal capacity.
A former Identitá official and her boyfriend were named and identified to the police by several Egyptian men who were arrested and questioned by the police after they were caught using the IDs to apply for residence permits.
In a July sitting in the case against Moustafa Ata Moussa Darwish, one of the Egyptian men accused of falsely claiming to be married to a British woman to obtain a residency permit in Malta, two Identitá officials had given conflicting testimony when asked about whether the man's file was available, leading Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi to order a police investigation.
An English woman who was supposedly married to the accused had testified in those proceedings. She described how an official from Identity Malta, as the agency was known then, had called her in 2022 to inquire whether she had sponsored a family member to obtain a residence permit. The woman told the court that she had nothing to do with any Egyptian men and denied ever being married to the accused.
The application states that the former Identitá official had conspired with her boyfriend to let the third country nationals into the Identity Malta office through a side door after closing time to photograph them for their new ID cards, which were issued in under 30 days—a far cry from the standard three to four-month wait.
The couple are already the subjects of ongoing criminal proceedings for fraud, in which they are accused of tricking a man into paying the boyfriend to purchase a property, with the former Identitá official impersonating a Lands Department official. A civil court had condemned the former Identitá official's boyfriend to pay the victim in that case.
The application states that thousands of fake certificates, mostly marriage certificates documenting fictitious marriages abroad between third-country nationals, the majority of them hailing from Egypt or Libya, and UK nationals at a time when the UK was still an EU member state, were used to apply for ID cards.
Azzopardi goes on to allege that these documents, which had been falsified for the purpose of applying for Maltese ID "appear to have already been destroyed by the Identity Malta employees involved in this racket."
It was for this reason that the Immigration Section of the Malta Police Force had to request confirmation of the purported marriages, Azzopardi said, adding that as far as he was aware, the requested information had not been received to date.
Scandalous Parties Involving High-Ranking Officials Revealed
Azzopardi goes on to declare under oath that he had been entrusted with information by an individual, on condition of anonymity, describing several debauched parties allegedly "organised by a Colombian woman named Rosario" at a villa in Wardija, an apartment in Mellieha, and another apartment in St. Julians.
"Members of Parliament from both sides of the House, Government Ministers, doctors, lawyers, employees, and Government officials would attend these parties," declared the lawyer, adding that 'Rosario' would boast of the ease with which she would obtain work permits for the prostitutes she employed "thanks to her corrupt contacts at Identity Malta together with officials from the Government of Malta who would be paid large sums of money to help her in return for being allowed to attend these parties for free."
The former Identitá official's boyfriend "is one of the names that Rosario had mentioned to him several times," alleged the lawyer, requesting an urgent magisterial inquiry aimed at preserving the relevant evidence.
Political Consequences
- Resignations and Dismissals: The involvement of high-ranking officials in the scandal could lead to resignations or dismissals. Public pressure and political accountability may force implicated officials to step down.
- Government Instability: The scandal may cause instability within the government, particularly if key ministers or Members of Parliament are implicated. This could lead to a reshuffling of the cabinet or even early elections.
- Erosion of Public Trust: Public trust in the government and its institutions may be severely eroded. The scandal underscores systemic corruption, potentially diminishing citizens' confidence in their leaders and the integrity of public administration.
- Judicial and Legal Repercussions: The magisterial inquiry and subsequent investigations could result in legal actions against the involved parties. High-profile trials could dominate the political landscape, influencing legislative priorities and public discourse.
- Opposition Leverage: Opposition parties are likely to capitalize on the scandal to gain political leverage, criticizing the ruling party for its alleged involvement in corruption. This could lead to heightened political tensions and a more polarized political environment.
- Policy and Institutional Reforms: In response to the scandal, there may be calls for comprehensive policy and institutional reforms to address and prevent such corruption in the future. This could include stricter oversight mechanisms, transparency initiatives, and anti-corruption measures.
- International Repercussions: The scandal could have international implications, affecting Malta's reputation abroad. This might lead to increased scrutiny from international bodies and could impact foreign relations and investments.
Additional Information and Developments
- The transfer of the police inspector raises questions about potential political interference in the investigation.
- The alleged involvement of high-ranking officials in both the ID fraud scheme and the scandalous parties indicates a deeply rooted corruption network.
- The ongoing criminal proceedings against the former Identitá official and her boyfriend highlight the broader scope of fraudulent activities beyond the ID card scheme.
- The destruction of falsified documents by Identity Malta employees complicates the investigation, necessitating reliance on testimonies and secondary evidence.
- Azzopardi's request for a magisterial inquiry underscores the urgency and gravity of the allegations, aiming to secure and examine the remaining evidence before it can be further compromised.
Read more: Corruption Perception in Malta: A Growing Concern
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