Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/982634
NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 16 MAY 2018 799 799 32 | COMM-REP-MT@ec.europa.eu SPECIAL SCREENING F SHORT FILMS SHORT FILMS SHORT FILMS by 5 European Directors 5 St James Cavalier Tuesday 15 th May | 7.30pm Entrance is free A reception will follow RESERVE YOUR SEAT ON MATTHEW AGIUS COMMISSIONER of Police Lawrence Cutajar appeared in court last week after being per- sonally summoned to explain why the police had been unable to notify an elusive alleged tax- dodger for the past five years. Peter Paul Muscat of Nadur Gozo is accused of failing to pay his contribution of his employ- ees' National Insurance and FSS, but for the past half-decade local authorities have been unsuccess- ful in their attempts at serving him with a notice of summons. Last February, after the pros- ecution informed the court for the umpteenth time that Muscat could not be found, Magistrate Ian Farrugia had declared that unless the man was traced and produced for the next sitting, the Police Commissioner would have to answer for this in person. "The order of the court is now clear; either the accused will appear for the next sitting on 9 May, 2018, or the Commissioner of Police will appear personally, to explain how Peter Paul Mus- cat allegedly cannot be traced on the little island that is Gozo," the magistrate had said. Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar duly appeared before the court last week, explaining that the man had probably moved to the United States. Cutajar explained that the Crime Intelligence Unit had been tasked to investigate the matter. Muscat's name had been on the wanted list and the Malta Police Border Control List since 2014, on the basis of a warrant is- sued after he failed to pay a fine imposed by a court. The Social Security Depart- ment and Jobsplus had no re- cord of the man applying for so- cial benefits or being registered as an employee or employer he said. Commissioner Cutajar told the magistrate that Interpol had been contacted about the case and had replied in April, stating that "the subject matching in name and identifiers may possi- bly reside in the United States." It had been confirmed that a man with Muscat's particulars could be living in Michigan, the Commissioner said. This tallied with the account given by Muscat's daughter, who had told the police that her fa- ther had gone to America and had never returned, the Com- missioner went on, adding that police patrolling the areas where Muscat's relatives lived had never had a sighting of the man himself. The case continues. magius@mediatoday.com.mt Police Commissioner says tax fugitive may have moved to US