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MT 19 August 2018

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Newspaper post YOUR FIRST READ AND CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT 2 maltatoday today today SUNDAY • 19 AUGUST 2018 • ISSUE 980 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY Mqabba's pyrotechnics champion Josef Camilleri, interviewed PAGE 16-17 SAVIOUR BALZAN THE Nationalist MEP David Casa is refuting suggestions that he is employing his family relatives as assistants on the European Par- liament payroll, in breach of EP rules. Casa, an MEP since 2004, de- nied any breach of EP rules over the employment of Paul Degabri- ele, his uncle, and Etienne Zam- mit Guglielmi, his brother-in-law. Both men are listed as local as- sistants in the MEP's transpar- ency declaration. The European Parliament's website clearly states that "MEPs may not employ close relatives as assistants". Specifically, the implementing measures for the Statute of MEPs bans the recruitment of spouses and non-marital partners, par- ents, children, brothers or sisters. While Casa did not deny hav- ing employed his relatives in his answer to MaltaToday, the Euro- pean Parliament's ban on "close relatives" does not prevent MEPs to instead employ the spouses of one's siblings, or a parent's sib- ling. "All employees are compliant and in accordance with all em- ployment rules for staff of MEPs. There is no breach of EP rules as you imply in your loaded ques- tion," Casa said at being asked to explain the employment of his maternal uncle and sister's hus- band in what appears to be a con- travention of the rule. MATTHEW VELLA A Maltese wealth management firm has been implicated in an American investigation through Venezuelan officials, including President Nico- las Maduro, are suspected of having laundered US$1.2 billion in funds pilfered from Venezuela's state oil company, the PDVSA. MaltaToday has learnt that Port- mann Capital Management Limited, is the Maltese investment firm that is referred to in the Homeland Security Investigations criminal complaint filed in the courts of Miami. Although unnamed in the com- plaint, MaltaToday spoke to highly- placed sources familiar with the in- vestigation, which involved Maltese police and finance authorities. A director for the company has told MaltaToday that Portmann is not aware that it is the Maltese financial institution identified in the Florida court complaint. Portmann Capital Management was set up in 2011 as a subsidiary of XPCT Limited, whose two share- holders are Swiss nationals Kurt Portmann, a Dubai resident, and Yves-Alain Portmann. Yves-Alain Portmann. PAGE 5 PAGE 2 David Casa puts uncle and brother-in-law on EP payroll €1.95 Daniel Holmes, whose imprisonment on cannabis possession sparked public outrage, speaks just weeks before his release from jail PAGE 3 Holmes Life after prison Malta wealth managers named in Venezuelan graft probe The fi ring squad A question of class? JAMES DEBONO takes a personal look at snobbery and inequality takes a personal look at snobbery and inequality 12 13 2 Andre Schembri takes the MaltaToday Q&A INSIDE MaltaToday2 Nationalist MEP says he is not breaching EP ban on close family relatives being employed as assistants

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