Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1526409
KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT SUNDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2024 • ISSUE 1296 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY American woman accuses St Julian's, Dragonara and MP of 'witchcraft' PAGE 5 Rowers from seven towns and cities fight for Victory Day honours PAGE 16 Mother of boy with one kidney concerned after two specialists left Mater Dei PAGES 6 - 7 Loony cases Regatta Exodus Politicking maltatoday Norma Saliba, a Norma Saliba, a candidate for PL candidate for PL president, on party's president, on party's roots and future roots and future INTERVIEW INTERVIEWMT2 MT2 BYRON Camilleri will not oppose a mag- isterial inquiry requested by former MP Ja- son Azzopardi on allegations of bribery at the local enforcement agency, LESA. The Home Affairs Minister denied knowledge of an alleged racket by which traffic fines were being diverted from Mal- tese drivers to tourists. But in an interview with MaltaToday, he insisted all entities on his watch, including himself, were open to any scrutiny. Camilleri is currently at the centre of a storm involving serious allegations made by Azzopardi on wrongdoing at LESA and Identità, agencies that fall within his remit. A separate magisterial inquiry is already underway on the issuance of fraudulent residence permits issued by Identità to for- eign nationals and other cases of suspected identity theft. The minister insisted that Identità's compliance unit had identified wrongdo- ing in the issuance of residence permits and reported the individuals to the police months before the allegations were made public. Camilleri said Identità had not only flagged the foreign nationals who bene- fitted from the illicit scheme but also an agency official, who no longer works there. This is the first official confirmation that an Identità official was involved in the issu- ance of fraudulent residency permits. Camilleri denied Azzopardi's claim that 18,000 false residency permits may have been issued but refused to divulge the number flagged by Identità. "The information I have been given by Identità is that the numbers are far less than what is being claimed… Prudence dictates that I should allow ongoing investigations to finish and then everyone's questions will be answered," Camilleri said. The minister insisted that Identità was not to blame for any errors that resulted in the hospital database or the letters posted by a telecommunications company to the wrong addresses. READ THE FULL INTERVIEW PAGES 2 - 4 FULL STORY PAGES 8 - 9 Home Affairs Minister insists he is open to any scrutiny €1.95 • Confirms Identità official had been f lagged for wrongdoing • No opposition to magisterial inquiry into LESA Lobbying register: PM hints at reform after four years of inaction Chief Justice Emeritus Joseph Azzopardi says it is up to government to take action to implement a transparency register proposed by his office four years ago to regulate lobbyist meetings, saying PM has not replied to three letters demanding action