Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1306522
3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 4 NOVEMBER 2020 NEWS KURT SANSONE MALTA'S financial services reg- ulator has tasked an independ- ent panel to investigate a poten- tial breach of ethics surrounding a trip to Las Vegas by its CEO and legal counsel. The board of governors of the Malta Financial Services Au- thority tasked former chief jus- tice Joe Azzopardi and lawyer Mark Simiana to "carry out the assessment process in an expedi- tious manner". The panel has to "carry out necessary verifications with re- gard to a breach of ethics", the MFSA board said in a statement on Tuesday. "Once the necessary assess- ments are concluded by the panel, recommendations will be presented to the Board of Gov- ernors for a final decision to be taken on both cases," the MFSA said in a statement posted on its website. The decision follows the au- to-suspension of CEO Joseph Cuschieri and legal counsel Ed- wina Licari last Friday after news emerged of a Las Vegas trip with magnate Yorgen Fenech in May 2018. Cuschieri has insisted he went on the trip to advise Fenech on regulatory aspects related to the gaming industry. He has denied having a conflict of interest since he had already stepped down as Gaming Authority CEO at the time of the trip. However, Cuschieri was at the time the MFSA's chief executive. At the time of the trip, Licari was still an employee of the Gaming Authority. She has not released any statement. Fenech owns casinos through the Tumas Group, a family com- pany, and paid all the expenses related to the Las Vegas trip. A former Office of the Prime Minister staffer and one-time secretary to Keith Schembri, Charlene Bianco Farrugia, was also on the Las Vegas trip. The MFSA statement added: "The Board of Governors of the MFSA is responsible for estab- lishing the policies and risk pa- rameters to be pursued by the Authority. The Board is bound by confidentiality and, in this re- gard, every single member of the Board categorically refutes that he or she gave any comments to the media. Information is issued only collectively as a Board." The board reaffirmed its com- mitment that the MFSA's man- agement and staff "remain totally focused on the implementation of the Authority's vision and strategy to ensure proper con- sumer protection and a safer and sounder financial system". The MFSA on Friday appoint- ed Christopher Buttigieg as act- ing CEO. MFSA task former chief justice to probe ethics breach by CEO Edwina Licari (left) with Joseph Cuschieri CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 It was Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi, the lawyer of the Caruana Galizia family, who suggested that Prime Minis- ter Robert Abela knew of the allegation, and hinted that the minister was "not a lawyer". Abela, a former HSBC bank manager, today categorically denied being linked to the alle- gation. "If Jason Azzopardi has evidence, I call on him to mention his name. If he is refer- ring to me, I am ready to take all steps nec- essary to defend my- self. I will not allow anyone to sul- ly my name," he affirmed. Azzopardi has alleged that Vince Muscat has infor- mation on a minister implciat- ed in a major crime. "Personally, I categorically deny that the story refers to me, and if anyone is making these allegations they should speak clearly so that I can con- sider my position, including le- gally, on who is alleging these things." Abela was put on the spot by Nationalist Party media yes- terday, where he was initially reluctant in condemning any such alleged politician believed to be linked to the crime, and instead referred to statements made by PM Robert Abela to MaltaToday earlier that day. Robert Abela refused to give details on the reports when prompted on Monday morn- ing, instead denouncing Jason Azzopardi for "undermining police investigations." He claimed that the infor- mation passed onto him is not necessarily what Jason Azzo- pardi is alleging, and will only take action if the police com- missioner advises him to do so. In this photo from 2010, Vince Muscat 'il-Kohhu' is escorted from court after being charged with involvement in the 2010 HSBC heist • Inset: Jason Azzopardi Abela denies links to 2010 HSBC heist