Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1057934
NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 DECEMBER 2018 Latvia reviews residence for Russian millionaire with Malta golden passport MATTHEW VELLA A St. Petersburg millionaire who acquired Maltese citi- zenship in 2015, is having his Latvian residence permit re- viewed by the Security Police, according to the magazine Ir. Pavel Melnikov, whose prop- erties in the Finnish archipel- ago were subject to a massive search operation, also owns extensive properties in Latvia – both by the sea and in bor- der areas in the eastern region of Latgale. Melnikov was the subject of a Finnish criminal investiga- tion on money laundering. A businessman, Melnikov, was also said to be a resident of Hungary, but has a resi- dence in Malta at Fort Cam- bridge, Tigné. He has been reportedly buying up islands and land from around the Turku archipelago in Finland, a strategic military point in southwest Finland close to Russia, through the Finnish company Ariston Helmi. A massive police investiga- tion in Finland was launched on dozens of strategic devel- opments - helipads, quays and bridges and connecting roads - built over a period of seven years at a cost of €9.2 million. Finnish national police sus- pected a "colossal operation" of money laundering. According to the Latvian magazine Ir, official databas- es show that Melnikov also bought his first properties in Latvia in 2011 – two private houses on the seashore in Melluži for almost 1 million lats (€1.42 million). The fol- lowing year Melnikov turned to systematic property-buying on the seaside of the Salacgrīva district and in Latgale. Of more than a dozen prop- erties identified by Ir, most were bought by Melnikov or his company in 2012, followed by a couple of purchases in 2014 and 2015. A total of al- most €5 million were invested in property acquisitions. The Russian newspaper No- vaya Gazeta says Melnikov is an influential player in the Russian sanitary wares and plumbing market, with a com- bined turnover or around €132 million. 53 • 45 • 19 • 74 • 39 | 22 • 62 • 73 02-12-2018 Draw No: 752 A man who was observed ex- iting a Zebbug garage with a sack that contained 20kg of cannabis, has been remanded in custody by the magistrate's court. Etienne Farrugia, 41, who works as a driver, pleaded not guilty. The court heard how offic- ers from the police anti-drug squad observed Farrugia ap- proach a person and then exit a garage in Zebbug with a large sack. The police then swooped in and searched Farrugia's car where they found 20kg of can- nabis. The man indicated a box that contained 3kg heroin and €6,500 in cash. Further searches on the car the man had approached un- covered €40,000 in cash. The police arrested three other people. Officers told the court on Saturday that investigations were ongoing and did not ex- clude further arrests. Magistrate Rachel Monte- bello turned down a request for bail pending further police investigations. Inspectors Frank Tabone and Marc Anthony Mercie- ca prosecuted while Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri were defence lawyers Denied bail over cannabis bust Pavel Melnikov is today a Maltese citizen thanks to the Individual Investor Programme