Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1153841
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 AUGUST 2019 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 "Filing a petition is as simple as writing to OFAC to begin the process of demonstrating that the criteria for designa- tion is no longer applicable or was unsupported. This process is public knowledge, available to all on OFAC's website. "In making a sanction list- ing or de-listing determina- tion, OFAC investigators carry out a thorough investigation consistent with the law and in consultation with the Depart- ments of Justice and State, as warranted. There is no quid pro quo, informal deal, or shortcut available to anyone," the US government spokes- person told MaltaToday. The spokesperson said the US government was still back- ing Maltese attempts to have United Nations sanctions des- ignated against Darren and Gordon Debono. "We commend Malta's gov- ernment and Sanctions Moni- toring Board for sponsoring Malta's first-ever UNSC sanc- tion case package, demon- strating Malta's commitment to protecting Libya's natu- ral resources and combating transnational organised crime. Accountability, strong judicial processes, and convictions are the best ways to reassure that criminals are brought to jus- tice. "The critical issue remains Russia's actions to delay Mal- ta's UNSC sanctions. We re- gret that Russia put the UNSC designations on technical hold in the 1970 Committee on the last day of silence." Russia blocked the sanctions with a last-minute veto on a Security Council designation, despite the full support of the UN Security Council and vari- ous other UN members. Malta's designations of the oil smuggling suspects – who were at the centre of a €30 mil- lion fuel-smuggling ring with Libya and Italian Mafia associ- ates at its heart – were foiled at the last minute when Rus- sia, a permanent member of the UNSC, 'broke the silence' at the eleventh hour, putting a hold on the sanctions. Break- ing the silence often implies the participant still has funda- mental problems with parts of the text. Darren and Gordon Debono were arrested in September 2017 by Italian police on the island of Lampedusa and in Catania, respectively, just a month after the arrest of Lib- yan smuggling kingpin Fahmi Slim Bin Khalifa by militias. The Maltese government has declared in its sanctions des- ignations that the two men had "consistently attempted to undermine the peace, stabil- ity, and security of Libya" with their involvement in the oil- smuggling crime ring. Since then, both accused have filed for an injunction in the Maltese courts in an at- tempt at preventing the gov- ernment from designating the sanctions. Debono this week alleged in court that officials from the United States embassy had asked him for information about Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his chief-of-staff Keith Schembri, in exchange for lifting US sanctions on him. The allegations were previ- ously reported by MaltaTo- day, from an affidavit in which Debono says that a US naval intelligence officer had re- quested from him details on drug smuggling and the refuel- ling of Russian naval units. "Do you remember those two Russian ships that wanted to dock in Malta and that Malta didn't allow to refuel? They told him to confirm whether the Prime Minister and the government took them outside territorial waters and whether he gave them fuel himself. They insisted on being given information and asked for in- formation about the Prime Minister and Keith Schembri. He said, 'No because he is my Prime Minister and I am not a spy'," Debono's lawyer, Victor Bugeja, said in court. Bugeja also claimed that Debono was asked by the Americans to spy on the Mal- tese government when queried about whether the govern- ment had supplied fuel to Rus- sian warships, and that he had refused. Debono's lawyer also claimed in court that he had "concrete evidence" showing that the Maltese government's deci- sion to pursue UN sanctions had not been discussed at Cab- inet level. However, this evidence was not submitted to the court. Foreign Affairs Minister Car- melo Abela stated in a court af- fidavit that the Prime Minister and himself "at present do not intend to carry out any of the actions specified by [Debono] and for which he is requesting a precautionary warrant of in- junction". But he said this did not pre- clude any further action at UN level by the Maltese, or any other interested government seeking sanctions against ac- tors suspected of fuel smug- gling. "Whether or not a petition for sanctions was presented in front of the United Nations Security Council is a matter of confidential nature. If such a petition was presented, the Security Council of the United Nations had the power to ac- cept or reject these sanctions. The government of Malta could only abide with such a decision," the government said in an official comment. Governments' statement In an unprecedented state- ment by both the US and Mal- tese governments, both sides appeared to deny Debono's claims that he was asked to spy as a precondition to have OFAC sanctions lifted. "Any allegations... including those implying lack of trust in key individuals in the govern- ment, are false and have abso- lutely no impact on our friend- ship and close collaboration," the two governments said. "Our bilateral relations have been consistently strong and continue to go from strength to strength. "We work together in a very transparent and honest man- ner, from economic and finan- cial engagement, to cultural and educational exchanges, political consultation, and regional security and law en- forcement cooperation." Both governments said they were partners in finding solu- tions to issues of global trans- national importance and Cen- tral Mediterranean security such as weapons proliferation, climate change, energy secu- rity, trafficking in drugs and persons, transnational crime, migration, and protecting bor- ders. mvella@mediatoday.com.mt 'No quid pro quo, informal deal, or shortcut available to anyone' on sanctions "The critical issue remains Russia's actions to delay Malta's UNSC sanctions. We regret that Russia put the UNSC designations on technical hold in the 1970 Committee on the last day of silence" "Any allegations... including those implying lack of trust in key individuals in the government, are false and have absolutely no impact on our friendship and close collaboration"