news

Italian crime link to Malta

By Kurt Sansone

In October 2000 Francesco Cardella, founder of the drug rehabilitation community called Saman, was found guilty by the courts in Trapani Sicily of misappropriating funds intended for his organisation. He was handed down a sentence of seven years imprisonment and asked to pay back considerable amounts of money to Saman and the Provincial Region of Trapani.

Investigations carried out by MaltaToday reveal that Francesco Cardella, an Italian national wanted since 1995 for misappropriating public funds, intended for a drug rehabilitation community he set up in Sicily, set up an offshore company in Malta in 1993.

The investigations into Cardella’s misdeeds kicked off in 1995 when an inquiry was launched into a number of false courses offered by Saman, which were financed by Regione Siciliana. The investigations revealed that Cardella channelled the wealth into offshore companies, one of which was established in Malta in March 1993.

The company Saman International Ltd is listed on the Malta Financial Services Registry of Companies and its registered address is in Merchants Street Valletta.

The only documentation available for Saman International is the memorandum of association, which every company is obliged to submit on registration. According to the memorandum, Francesco Cardella owns 200 shares in the company while Elisabetta Roveri and Klara Hosszufalussy, both from Milan, own 150 shares each. Cardella is also identified as the first director of the offshore company.

The company was set up to deal in the purchase, charter, hire or exchange of ships, yachts and boats. It also had the intention of acting as a broker and agent for maritime activity. The company was not authorised to conduct its business in Malta and so could not compete with Maltese tour operators.