Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/649887
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 6 MARCH 2016 3 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Earlier this week, Fenech lambasted energy minister Konrad Mizzi and the Prime Minister's chief of staff Keith Schembri, who admitted owning offshore companies in Panama which are now po- litically embarrassing Joseph Muscat. "Panama was not blacklist- ed in 2003," Fenech replied when MaltaToday asked her whether her legal firm's connection to the Central American microstate's tax jurisdiction could hamstring her criticism. But Fenech said the exist- ence of these two companies in the Pan- ama registry, did not weaken her state- ments. "You are asking me about something I did not even know about because I sim- ply do not do this work. Fenlex is a trust and fiduciary services provider, man- aged and administered separately from the firm licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority and provides such services to non-residents. "I have now checked with the CEO of Fenlex and he informs me that Fenlex is a director of only one company registered in Panama in 2003 – that is a very long time ago and Panama was not blacklisted then. So the answer is simple – I have no problem whatsoever still stating that a minister of state should not set up a company which is beyond scrutiny after having become a minister." Even Konrad Mizzi's handlers, Nexia BT, made use of Mossack Fonseca's ser- vices to register a company for him in Panama – Hearnville – which ostensibly served to hide his ultimate beneficiary status. Instead, the company was 100% owned by Orion Trust Ltd, of New Zealand, an accountancy firm that ran his own off- shore trust in New Zealand. The classic financial set-up has been under fire as the minister was accused of having planned to minimise his tax exposure on his assets, or even hide his beneficiary status for any money paid into the company's bank account. The revelations have galvanized the Nationalist Party, which will today or- ganise a protest outside Castille Square, right beneath the office of the Prime Minister. News ALTERNATTIVA Demokratika has criticised Opposition leader Simon Busuttil for warning that no-shows for today's protest or- ganised by the PN would be giv- ing their tacit approval to corrup- tion. "Busuttil arrogantly assumes that he has a right to decide for others whether they should at- tend PN activities or not," AD chairperson Arnold Cassola told a press conference outside Parlia- ment. Former AD leader Michael Briguglio, who since his resigna- tion as party leader in 2013 had kept some distance from the par- ty's new executive, was present for the press conference. Cassola said Busuttil "has no right to decide for others, for other parties and organisations. Simon Busuttil should stop in- sulting people and treating them as if they were little children who need him to make decisions on their behalf." Cassola urged Parliament to im- mediately approve a Bill to estab- lish a Commissioner for Public Standards – that was tabled by the Opposition in 2013. "Had the Bill been approved in- to law, the Commissioner would have been able to investigate any minister or politician who does not behave ethically, and investi- gate every minister and MP who hides money in Panama and Swit- zerland," he said. He added that the Commission- er would have been able to imme- diately – and without the Prime Minister's approval – send for energy and health minister Kon- rad Mizzi and Joseph Muscat's chief of staff Keith Schembri, to demand detailed explanations over their Panamanian registered companies. "This is what would have hap- pened in a country with a devel- oped democracy," he said. "The feeling of disgust at the political class is palpable, one ethical fail- ure after another. "The attitude and mentality cultivated over the years is that it pays to engage in politics with those who can give you something back. The popular choice in the past was the PN, but that changed to Labour when it became obvious that they would get elected to government. Those who help and finance their cam- paigns are someway or another thanked through public funds." Describing the political duopoly as a "shambles", he said that both the PN and PL refuse to change the board game as it suits them both well. "They know it is totally under their control. This system has led to a shambles, to a system of dispensation of favours and cli- entelism instead of a transparent, modern and pluralist democracy." 'Busuttil treating people like children' over protest – AD L-R: Carmel Cacopardo, Arnold Cassola, Claire Azzopardi Lane, Michael Briguglio, Mario Mallia and Ralph Cassar Labour claims PN leak shows RCC back on strategy MIRIAM DALLI LABOUR'S media arm yesterday reported having seen notes pertaining to the PN's party strategy, in which Richard Cachia Caruana, Malta's former EU ambassador appears back in the heart of the Nationalist Party's strategy group. One News claimed that the leaks showed the PN's strategy was being "made in Mdina", a ref- erence to Cachia Caruana's private residence. The party's TV newsroom claimed the notes refer to a strategy that should include "a series of partisan protests aimed at destabilising the country's economy with constant references to 1987" – the year when the Nationalist Par- ty was elected to power following the Mifsud Bonnici and Mintoff administrations. One News said a meeting was held on Mon- day between PN leader Simon Busuttil, deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami, former finance minister Tonio Fenech and Cachia Caruana. On Friday, Fenech Adami denied that Cachia Caruana had returned to the party fold, adding that "Cachia Caruana held no official position" when pressed by Labour media. The TV report was aired less than 24 hours before a national protest that Busuttil will lead today against corruption, where he will accuse Joseph Muscat's government of being seized by "a crisis of corruption". The protest comes after revelations and subsequent admissions from energy minister Konrad Mizzi and Muscat's chief of staff Keith Schembri, of owning offshore companies in Panama and offshore trusts in New Zealand. In an attempt to garner support for his pro- test, the PN leader has argued that people who do not attend this afternoon's anti-corruption protest would be giving their tacit approval to corruption within the government. "The gov- ernment has now exceeded all limits, and the time has come for the people to show their anger and disgust at what is going on, and to stand up and be counted," Busuttil said on Fri- day on party station 101. "The people who don't join the protest will be sending a message to Muscat that he can con- tinue doing whatever he likes," he said. Joseph Muscat has turned down suggestions by MaltaToday that Keith Schembri's offshore business was putting him in a politically un- comfortable situation. "This man made his success in business before entering politics, and has chosen to work for his country – much in the same way that Richard Cachia Caruana did," he said referring to Eddie Fenech Adami's former head of secretariat. "I would go to the protest on Sunday but I won't because the person who is organising it has no credibility, was part of a corrupt gov- ernment and a system against which he never spoke out when there were problems such as the oil scandal. He shut up and did nothing," Muscat said, referring to Busuttil. Fenech plays down legal firm's Panama connection Richard Cachia Caruana PN executive president Ann Fenech: "I have no problem whatsoever stating that a minister of state should not set up a company which is beyond scrutiny after having become a minister."