Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/931337
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 24 JANUARY 2018 News 3 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The European Council may determine that there is a clear risk of a serious breach by a member state of the values referred to in Ar- ticle 2, including rule of law. The Council would consider any reasoned proposal put forward by one-third of the Member States, by the Eu- ropean Parliament or by the European Commission. In an interview in The Sunday Times, National- ist MEP David Casa denied that he had asked the Euro- pean Popular Party (EPP), of which the PN forms part within the European Parlia- ment, to recommend that the Council trigger Article 7 in the case of Malta because of an alleged failure of the rule of law. But sources on the Euro- pean Parliament's PANA Committee, of which Casa is also a member, told Malta- Today that Casa had indeed recommended to his EPP colleagues that the group should push to have Arti- cle 7 invoked in the case of Malta. The PANA committee was set up to investigate money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion in the wake of the P a n - ama Papers scan- dal. He has claimed to be in possession of a report penned by the Financial Investigation and Analysis Unit and pointing to evi- dence of money laundering within Pilatus Bank. Last week he said he gave the European Central Bank further evi- dence on the private bank Pilatus, which he claimed went beyond "merely flout- ing" anti-money laundering rules. Casa had called for the withdrawal of the bank's li- cence through a complaint filed on 25 November last year. He also asked for the bank to be taken over by the ECB. When contacted yesterday, Delia insisted the PN would fight "lock, stock and barrel" against any attempt to trig- ger Article 7 against Malta. "I am not informed or aware of such a move, but even if I knew this was a mere possibility, I would im- mediately start a campaign to ensure this does not come about," the PN leader said. "I cannot make this any clearer: such a move will never have my support, who- ever might push for it." CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 "I believe that the information in Mr Ferris's possession may be important," the MEP said. "I call again on the Maltese government to ensure he is giv- en whistleblower status and to take all appropriate measures to ensure adequate protection to him and his family," Gomes said of Ferris, who has declared he will release information re- lated to his past investigations at the FIAU before his sacking. "I am disturbed to hear that he is being asked to divulge in- formation to the Office of the Prime Minister prior to being granted the status. If that is confirmed, it is totally unac- ceptable – particularly when the said information may in- clude further relevant elements about a Minister and the Chief of the Office of the Prime Min- ister; persons who were already exposed in the Panama Papers but are kept in government," Gomes said. Ferris was a former police in- spector who joined the Finan- cial Analysis Information Unit, from which he would be sacked while still on probation shortly after the June 2017 election. He filed an unfair dismissal claim before the Industrial Tri- bunal, but an affidavit he filed in the case is being opposed by the Attorney General due to confidentiality and secrecy rules. Ferris has already said he will produce documents alleging millions of euros were pro- cessed by the private bank Pil- atus Bank for power- ful Azerbaijanis. In comments to The Times of London, Ferris insisted that the gov- ernment is attempt- ing to s t o p h i m publishing further accusations that allegedly detail Malta's mysterious links to Azerbaijan's ruling clan. The Attorney General wants to hold the proceedings of the unfair dismissal claim behind closed doors. Ferris has also claimed in his protest to the courts, that his termination of employment was politically motivated, referring specifically to comments made by finance minister Edward Scicluna in Brussels which Fer- ris said were "without doubt the politically partisan background that informed the actions of the [FIAU]." Ferris was referring to Sci- cluna's comments after the elections, where the minister surmised that excerpts of an unfinished FIAU investigation were written with "an intent to be leaked" to the press in the run-up to the election. A leaked extract from an un- finished FIAU investigation published by The Malta Inde- pendent had alleged money was transferred to a Dubai company called 17 Black by the local com- pany behind the LNG tanker powering the new gas-fired sta- tion. According to the extract, 17 Black was listed as the firm that would pay money into the once-secret Panama companies owned by Schembri and Mizzi. Both men denied the allega- tions, and the FIAU has said no conclusive report exists. The name '17 Black' had cropped up months earlier in an enigmatic blogpost by Daphne Caruana Galizia, in which she referred to simply as "a compa- ny in Dubai" with the faces of former EU commissioner John Dalli, Schembri, Mizzi and Jo- seph Muscat – but no explana- tion was given for the post. According to the excerpts from a 120-page report, the Dubai companies 17 Black and Macbridge were described as target clients of Tillgate Inc. and Hearnville Inc – the off- shore companies set up for Schembri and Mizzi. Mario Pullicino, the owner of Orion Engineering and com- pany secretary of the Armada Floating Gas Services company which operates the LNG tank- er, denied accusations that his company was involved in kick- backs destined for Schembri and Mizzi. Gomes says it is unacceptable for OPM to demand Ferris hand over information Casa denies having called for Article 7 pean Parliament's PANA Committee, of which Casa is also a member, told Malta- Today that Casa had indeed recommended to his EPP colleagues that the group should push to have Arti- cle 7 invoked in the case of The PANA committee was set up to investigate money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion in the wake of the P a n - ama Papers scan- dal. He has claimed to be in possession of a report penned by the Financial Investigation and Analysis Unit and pointing to evi- dence of money laundering within about," the PN leader said. "I cannot make this any clearer: such a move will never have my support, who- ever might push for it." after the June 2017 election. He filed an unfair dismissal claim before the Industrial Tri- bunal, but an affidavit he filed in the case is being opposed by the Attorney General due to confidentiality and secrecy rules. Ferris has already said he will produce documents alleging millions of euros were pro- cessed by the private bank Pil- atus Bank for power- ful Azerbaijanis. In comments to The Times of London, Ferris insisted that the gov- ernment is attempt- PN MEP David Casa Socialist MEP Ana Gomes