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1.7.2021 6 NEWS Famed Spanish showman planned to open bank in Malta to launder millions in drug money MORE than 150 employees from CareMalta and HILA received long-service awards in recognition of their hard work and loyalty over the past five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of employment with the Vassallo Group. e awards and certificates were presented by chairman Nazzareno Vassallo on the group's 75th anniversary. Vassallo, together with his son Pio, the group's CEO, and his daughter Natalie Briffa Farrugia, CEO of the Care- Malta Group, toured a num- ber of care facilities to person- ally hand out the awards to all employees. e CareMalta Group op- erates 12 facilities, including nine homes for the elderly and three operated by HILA (Home to Independence & Limitless Abilities) – Casa Apap Bologna in Mosta, Dar Bjorn in Qormi and Casal Nuovo in Paola. Employees reaching retire- ment age were also rewarded with special bonuses. "Awarding people who have been employed with us for the past 25 years is very significant for our group, especially when one considers today's fluid work culture," Vassallo said. "Having seen our employees start off at operational level, climb the corporate ladder over the years and reach manage- ment levels fills me with pride." Briffa Farrugia said it was an honour to see so many Care- Malta Group employees being recognised for their hard work and loyalty, always caring with a selfless smile and working with compassion, engagement and professionalism. Long-service awards for CareMalta Group employees DAVID LINDSAY FAMED Spanish television showman, producer and entrepreneur José Luis Moreno planned to open up a bank in Malta through which he and his cohorts intended to launder millions of euros in drug money, according to dozens of re- ports appearing in the Spanish media over the last 24 hours. Moreno stands accused of laundering some €50 million drug money that ended up in secret accounts in Switzerland, Pan- ama and the Maldives. His organisation's next step, according to Spanish investiga- tors, was to open up a bank in Malta to facilitate the process and to cater to its growing money-laundering needs. Multiple Spanish media outlets have quoted police sources as saying one of the organisation's main projects was to open up a bank in Malta "designed for economic crime" through which it was to launder the proceeds of their drug smuggling operations. Further details on the plans for the Maltese money-laundering bank, which Spanish investigators say were at an ad- vanced stage, could be expected at a future stage of proceedings. Spanish authorities have not released more in- formation, due to the highly sensitive nature of the investigations and because it is believed that more arrests are still on the cards. Moreno himself was arrested at his home outside of Madrid on Tuesday and stands accused of fraud, embezzlement, money laundering and other crimes. e international criminal business network involving Moreno and his part- ners was allegedly diverting a portion of the profits from its criminal activi- ties into its multiple businesses, most of which were linked to Moreno's cine- matographic and audiovisual businesses. Operation Titella ('Puppet' in Catalan) – conducted jointly by the Civil Guard and the National Police – had had the organisation under investigation for two years. Over 700 merchants were in- volved in laundering money from drug trafficking to third parties by simulating non-existent business activity so as to justify the millions pouring in. It was the arrest of a drug mule carry- ing €1.3 million in cash some two years ago that sparked off the operation and which led to Moreno's arrest on Tuesday, and to the discovery of his plans to open a bank in Malta to specifically launder the ill-gotten gains of drug trafficking. e mule had transported large amounts of cash in vehicles with double bottoms in and out of Spain on a regular basis. Spanish investigators believe that Moreno had a network of intermediaries including bank managers, mainly in Bar- celona, and that the name of the game was to raise funds for the organisation, in some cases, from cryptocurrency Initial Coin Offerings. Once the organisation received the money, it was moved to other firms with the help of lawyers and a notary who also formed part of the network. In so doing, investigators charge, the companies that had received the financing were decapi- talised and their debts went into default. It is posited that the organisation would have subsequently used the stolen funds to grant loans to third parties at high in- terest rates and to launder funds from drug trafficking. A private bank owned by the organisation and set up in Malta would presumably have greatly facilitat- ed the scam. Moreno's arrest is part of an ongoing investigation against an international network of embezzlement and money laundering, which is being carried out under secrecy by the Central Unit for Economic and Fiscal Crime (UDEF) of the Higher Police Headquarters in col- laboration with the Civil Guard of Bar- celona. José Luis Moreno Cash found by police at Moreno's house

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