Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/670480
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 24 APRIL 2016 4 News MATTHEW VELLA EDUCATION minister Evar- ist Bartolo has thrown down the gauntlet in yet another missive at the financial services regulator's chairman, Prof. Joseph Bannister, who is refusing to comment on ac- cusations of a conflict of interest. Bartolo rekindled an old feud with Bannister, who as chairman of the Malta Financial Services Authority came under fire for the way the regulator handled com- plaints from Bank of Valletta cli- ents who lost some €50 million in savings in the La Valette property fund. But in the wake of the Panama Papers revelations, which revealed Labour minister Konrad Mizzi and the Prime Minister's chief of staff Keith Schembri had set up offshore companies in Panama, Bartolo has also accused Bannis- ter of having a serious conflict of interest. Bannister has for years acted as director of several funds run by financiers Sloane Robinson, amongst them the SR Global Fund and the New Greater China Fund. Finance minister Edward Sci- cluna, who yesterday was in Am- sterdam, said he cannot comment on the allegations made. "But defi- nitely I will be going into them to a degree as my remit and the law would allow me to," the minister said. Bannister is also a director of Sloane Robinson funds SRH Eclipse and SR Phoenicia. But the MFSA chairman has refused to comment on his asso- ciation with a company that in the past was ordered to pay millions in taxes it had avoided to pay. Hugh Sloane and George Robin- son are two of Britain's wealthiest men and among the Conservative party's most generous donors. In 2004, the hedge fund managers put £24 million of bonuses into a dividend scheme which allowed them to escape £13 million in in- come tax and national insurance contributions to HM Revenue and Customs. A tribunal ordered them to pay back the money in 2012, af- ter it ruled that they had created 'money-box companies serving an essentially mechanical purpose'. Bartolo has been an open critic of energy minister Konrad Mizzi, sug- gesting it was untenable for a min- ister to stay on after having opened an offshore company in Panama. "Given the public discussion on the Panama Papers, why two weights and two measures? In all this there is an important question to be asked by all of us. Should there not be some level of expectation that persons entrusted with public of- fice ultimately are driven to 'do the right thing'?" Bartolo asks in his MaltaToday column (page 20). "Is the involvement of the chair- man of Malta's financial services regulator with such offshore out- fits correct behaviour? If these funds go astray, it will be the col- lective responsibility of all mem- bers of the board. They will be held accountable to the public. What will be or indeed is the po- tential damage to Malta and the financial services sector?" Incidents lead to heightened security at futsal games JURGEN BALZAN THE Futsal Malta Association (FSM) will be implementing a new security plan after a series of incidents saw fans being attacked by so-called supporters of rival teams at the Corradino Sports Pa- vilion. FSM president Mark Borg told MaltaToday that the associa- tion is concerned with the inci- dents "because sport and violence should never go hand in hand." Futsal games are played on Fri- day evenings and until recently the pavilion was a safe place for families and fans. But a number of incidents have been reported in recent weeks and this led to a number of clubs and fans voicing their concern. "An incident was reported to us last week which involved a num- ber of persons in the bar adjacent to the sport pavilion after the semi-final game was completed," Borg said adding that this has prompted the association to draft and implement a security plan for forthcoming matches. "It would be a real pity if inci- dents spoil the enjoyment of sup- porters who come in good faith, and tarnish such an upcoming sport which is growing in popu- larity both locally and interna- tionally," he added. For the final stages of this sea- son's competitions, which attract a substantial number of support- ers, the association has prepared a security plan, with the help of ex- perienced security persons work- ing at the Ta' Qali national sta- dium, and has presented this plan to the Malta Football Association (MFA), the Malta Football Refer- ees Association and the clubs. Sources close to the police force have told MaltaToday that a small number of police officers were be- ing engaged by the association to man the Corradino Sports Pavil- ion, where most futsal games are played. Moreover, the police were only paid to be present inside the pa- vilion for the duration of the matches. This meant that the police were not responsible for what happened before and after the games, especially outside the pavilion. Hotly contested matches can at- tract a few hundred people and sources said that on certain occa- sions the police presence was not big enough, especially with alco- hol being served at a nearby bar. This plan involves the segrega- tion of supporters, the increase in police complement under the control of a responsible police sergeant, the engagement of an FMA security coordinator, the engagement of a private security company for gate control at pre- determined checkpoints and the arrangement with the bar opera- tor to adopt a separate security set-up. The police have also been in- structed to carry out searches at the main entrance. Borg explained that all stake- holders endorsed the plan and the association intends to implement the plan in the remaining games. A series of incidents led the futsal association to implement a new security plan for the Corradino pavilion where matches are played Minister keeps up fight on Bannister and Cayman Evarist Bartolo: accusation of conflict of interest