Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1533641
4 NEWS 4 NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 26 MARCH 2025 A financial investigation has un- covered potentially suspicious payments linking blacklisted consultant Shiv Nair, a former Maltese government adviser, to Malta's public transport contract and the Kappara junction project. Shiv Nair, who was blacklisted by the World Bank for fraud and corruption in 2000, was flagged during a financial investigation of former Transport Malta CEO James Piscopo. Several consultancy payments received by Piscopo were flagged as suspicious by investigators. The payments coincided with the period that Piscopo oversaw the granting of the public bus service concession to a Spanish operator and the construction of the Kap- para junction by a Spanish com- pany. Piscopo was the subject of a po- lice investigation. Fresh details of this probe are being revealed in a joint investi- gation by MaltaToday, Amphora Media and the Times of Malta. Investigators found that consid- erable amounts of money were transferred over a short period of time. The transactions involved Mal- ta Public Transport Ltd, a Mal- tese company owned by Spanish firm Autobuses de Leon, and Spanish company Constructora San Jose SA, channelling funds to Spanish companies Hasaura Real Estate SL and Translock IT SL. At the time of these transac- tions, both recipient companies were under the directorship of Carlos Yanguas Gomez de la Ser- na, a relative of a former Spanish member of parliament. According to investigators, the funds were subsequently fun- neled to bank accounts in the United Arab Emirates and Hun- gary, specifically under Aiken Spencer Ltd, a company whose director was identified as Shiv Nair. Further scrutiny into financial dealings connected to the case uncovered transactions involving Burmah Oil Ltd, another compa- ny owned by Shiv Nair. Suspect consultancy payments to James Piscopo In 2016, the former Transport Malta CEO James Piscopo set up an investment firm of his own – Undecim Five – with the help of accountant and friend Robert Borg. Piscopo is a former Air Malta accountant who was eventually seconded to the Labour Party as its CEO, while Borg has served as the General Workers Union's financial controller. In May 2013, a couple of months after La- bour's election victory, Borg was also appointed on the board of the Water Services Corporation, ARMS Ltd and the Malta Statis- tics Authority. After the 2013 election, Piscopo was appointed CEO at Transport Malta, which until then was both transport regulator and road builder. Financial intelligence also re- veals that Piscopo deposited nine cheques from Robert Borg into his account, amounting to €30,000. Seven of these transactions raised suspicions among investi- gators due to the unusual nature of both the payee and payer being Borg. The pattern of round-fig- ure amounts, coupled with the absence of clear links between the individuals, led authorities to suspect an effort to obscure their financial dealings. Piscopo acknowledged the payments but insisted they were related to consultancy work with Borg, calling them "stupid" but not illegal. He denied being part of any form of a kickbacks scheme. Documents reviewed by Mal- taToday however indicate that James Piscopo (left) was CEO of Transport Malta when the Kappara junction tender was awarded. A financial probe into the project found links to Shiv Nair (right) Suspicious payments identified in transport CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 This was also confirmed by former Chief Head of Compli- ance at Identità, Claudio Spiteri. When questioned by Magis- trate Donatella Frendo Dimech, Spiteri stated that Identità had 16 files related to the case. "I have never heard of these thousands of ID cards being mentioned," Spiteri told the court. The prosecution also ex- plained that they had investigat- ed various letters with incorrect addresses, rental agreements, in- ternet bills, and more, but once again confirmed that they only found seven forged ID cards. Spiteri also revealed that while working at Identità, he was asked to investigate a case in- volving three Egyptian nationals who were granted residency sta- tus when pretending to be mar- ried to UK citizens. However, upon further inves- tigation, it was discovered that these British individuals had no knowledge of who the Egyptian nationals were. As a result, Spiteri forwarded the case to the police and the fraud was discovered. Inspectors Andy Rotin, Keith Darmanin, Lara Butters, Chris- tian Abela, with the help of AG lawyers Manuel Grech and An- drea Zammit prosecuted. The court was presided over by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech. Lawyers Alfred Abela and Rene Darmanin acted as the de- fence for Spiteri. Lawyers Jose Herrera and Mat- thew Xuereb acted as the de- fence for Attard. Identità Chief Head of Compliance refutes claims that thousands of forgery cases had been discovered Maria Spiteri (left) and Bernard Attard covering his head with his jacket (right) are charged in connection with a racket that saw foreigners obtain residency permits fraudulently (Photos: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) ITTRA TA' INTENZJONI Jennifer Brincat - 226985M (Clean Solutions) tiddikjara l- intenzjoni li tirregistra n-negozju ghal Applikazzjoni għal Liċenzja ta' l-Aġenzija tal-Impieg skond ir-regolament L.N. 270 dwar l-Att ta' l-Impieg u r-Relazzjonijiet Industrijali (KAP.452) tal-2023. L-attivitajiet proposti u li ser isiru jinkludu il-provvista ta' haddiema lil parti terza inkluz; 1. Servizzi ta xogholijiet temporanji u li jinvolvu l-provvista ta' haddiema lil parti terza. 2. Il-parti terza tassenja ix-xoghol lill-haddiema temporanji. 3. Agenzija li tipprovdi servizzi ta 'outsourcing' u li tipprovdi haddiema lil parti terza. 4. L-Agenzija li tipprovdi servizzi ta' 'outsourcing' lil kuntratturi u lil xi persuni li jingaġġaw ħaddiema għax- xogħol tissorvelja, tidderigi u tikkontrolla l-haddiema. Indirizz Ufficjali Registrat: Blk.A8, Apt.2 Triq Pietru D'Armenia, Pembroke