Magisterial inquiry linked to police Panama Papers investigation Operation Green at crucial stage

A police investigation into the Panama Papers, codenamed Operation Green, is at magisterial inquiry stage and one of two judicial probes is at “a crucial stage”.

The information was given by Police Assistant Commissioner Alexandra Mamo on Wednesday while testifying in front of the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry.

Mamo was reluctant to comment on a suggestion made by one of the judges that the division she now heads waste a lot of time in 2016 when the Panama Papers scandal was outed.

However, she insisted the investigations were still ongoing.

Mamo was made head of the police financial crimes unit in June, soon after the appointment of Angelo Gafa as police commissioner.

Operation Green was the codename given to the police probe back in 2016, which failed to gain any traction. Testimony given by Mamo’s predecessor, Assistant Commissioner Ian Abdilla, indicated that the police were given advice by the Attorney General to exercise prudence and go slow when evaluating the possibility of seizing the servers of accountancy firm Nexia BT.

Nexia had helped then minister Konrad Mizzi and former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri set up companies in Panama. The firm has since had its licence withdrawn and its partners, Brian Tonna, Karl Cini and Manuel Castagna have been subjected to a freezing order by the court following the conclusion of a magisterial inquiry into allegations concerning kickbacks.

Schembri’s assets are also subject to a freezing order.

“I cannot speak for what happened at that time… These investigations are still ongoing. Persons have been arrested and are on police bail… One of the two inquiries that make up the investigation [Operation Green], is at a crucial stage,” Mamo testified.

On the data extracted from Caruana Galizia murder suspect Yorgen Fenech’s electronic devices, the police officer said her unit has a copy and every chat is being analysed.

“If necessary, a police investigation is being launched into the individuals concerned. A number of criminal investigations in this regard are active and underway,” she added.

Mamo told the inquiry that the police commissioner and herself had wanted to set up a meeting with the Caruana Galizia family. “The victim has a right to know what stage the investigations were at,” she said.

Another meeting will be held in the coming weeks, she added.

Mamo then continued her testimony behind closed doors.

In the previous sitting, Mark and Joe Gasan testified about their involvement in the Electrogas consortium.

The public inquiry into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia is tasked with, amongst other things, determining whether the State did all it could to prevent the murder from happening.

Caruana Galizia was murdered in a car bomb just outside her Bidnija home on 16 October 2017.

Three men, George Degiorgio, Alfred Degiorgio and Vince Muscat, have been charged with carrying out the assassination, while Yorgen Fenech is charged with masterminding the murder.

Melvin Theuma, who acted as a middleman between Fenech and the three killers, was granted a presidential pardon last year to tell all.

The inquiry is led by retired judge Michael Mallia and includes former chief justice Joseph Said Pullicino and Judge Abigail Lofaro.

10:26 The next inquiry sitting is on Friday at 9:30am when former attorney general Peter Grech is expected to testify. Kurt Sansone

10:26 Mamo’s testimony will now continue behind closed doors. Kurt Sansone

10:24 Mamo goes back to the data extracted from Yorgen Fenech’s devices. “This data is voluminous, but we need to make an effort... the job is stressful and hard but by the end of November we need to have analysed it together with Europol. I trust we will succeed. We need to exhibit this data in the proceedings against Yorgen Fenech in December.” Kurt Sansone

10:22 Mamo says the inspectors appeared relieved at her pep talk. Kurt Sansone

10:21 Mamo says that on 9 July she brought the inspectors together and asked them to keep the interests of the police force at heart and live up to their oath to serve without fear or favour. "We have the oath we swore when we joined the corps and we have no fear. If they had a conflict of interest I provided them with the opportunity to switch to another team. I felt I had to do this," Mamo says. Kurt Sansone

10:18 Mamo addresses the issue linked to data extracted from Caruana Galizia murder suspect Yorgen Fenech’s electronic devices. She says her unit has a copy and every chat is being analysed and if necessary, a police investigation is being launched into the individuals concerned. “A number of criminal investigations in this regard are active and underway,” she says. Kurt Sansone

10:15 She says Operation Green is now at magisterial inquiry stage. “One of the two inquiries that make up the investigation, is at a crucial stage. This one is before Magistrate Josette Demicoli." Kurt Sansone

10:09 Mamo: “I cannot speak for what happened at that time, not to be disrespectful. These investigations are still ongoing. Persons have been arrested and are on police bail.” Kurt Sansone

10:08 Chief justice emeritus Joseph Said Pullicino asks about the Panama Papers. “Your division wasted a lot of time back in 2016,” he suggests. Kurt Sansone

10:07 Asked about her following of the media, she says that the CMRU would provide relevant extracts from the news every day. “If a criminal investigation is needed a file will be opened,” she replies. Kurt Sansone

10:06 Mamo: “When we receive reports from the FIAU... these intelligence reports need to be processed into hard evidence and used in interrogations. There are cases where inspectors from the ECU are needed.” Kurt Sansone

10:03 Asked if her predecessor Ian Abdilla had given her a handover, she hesitates for a second and says that he did. She wishes to discuss that subject behind closed doors, however. The request is granted by the board but questioning continues in public for the time being. Kurt Sansone

10:01 The police are investigating several politically exposed persons (PEPs) and persons of trust. Kurt Sansone

10:00 Mamo: “The police conduct their own legal research, as well as using the office of the Attorney General. We have a strong working relationship with the AG and FIAU. When I started, I found tens of active investigations in several squads. I didn't know if there were plans of action. There was a backlog but I had prioritised the work. Every case is important in its own way.” Kurt Sansone

09:58 QUICK REMINDER: The Daphne Caruana Galizia inquiry board is hearing the testimony of police Assistant Commissioner Alexandra Mamo, the head of the financial crimes department. She was appointed to the role last June, replacing Assistant Commissioner Ian Abdilla, who had come under fire over his handling of major money laundering investigations involving people in power. Kurt Sansone

09:56 The assistant commissioner says that if she feels the need, she will call a meeting with the superintendents in charge of the investigations. “There are lots of meetings, before, during and after operations,” she explains. Kurt Sansone

09:54 “Every Sunday I receive weekly updates on several major cases,” she says. Kurt Sansone

09:54 Mamo says the third level is to identify and detain, if necessary, individuals linked with the suspected crime and the fourth stage is the interrogation of persons of interest. Kurt Sansone

09:52 “Investigators don't passively wait for the replies but seek more information,” she adds. Kurt Sansone

09:52 The process is long, she says, partly because replies from financial and credit institutions have to be studied in detail to be able to link them with money laundering or financing of terrorism. Kurt Sansone

09:51 Money laundering investigations are complex, she says. The police receive reports from official bodies, such as the FIAU, the media and from informants. The second level is to evaluate these reports, to strengthen the evidence. If required, a request for information or investigation order or attachment order is issued, she adds. Kurt Sansone

09:49 Mamo says resources are never enough to cover the various crimes that fall within her remit. “Money laundering and financial crimes are the typology of crimes today, so there are never enough resources,” she says. Kurt Sansone

09:48 Mamo says she has 95 officers under her command and she sits on the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder task force. Kurt Sansone

09:47 She has 12 inspectors in AML/FT squad. One inspector is dedicated to tax evasion and another eight inspectors are focussed on economic crimes. Each squad has a superintendent, she says. There is also the block chain analysis unit, a two-men team and a financial crimes analysis unit, led by an analyst. Kurt Sansone

09:46 Mamo says that on 8 September, the department was moved out of the police HQ to a new building in St. Venera. She explains that her department has two squads - one focussed on the financing of terrorism/money laundering and another for financial crimes. Kurt Sansone

09:44 She explains that on 22 June when the commissioner was appointed he had called her and asked to meet her the next day, telling her that he had faith in her to head the Financial Crimes Investigation Department (FCID). She accepted the role in the best interests of the corps and the country, she says. Kurt Sansone

09:43 The judges enter the court hall and Police Assistant Commissioner Alexandra Mamo takes the stand. She is stationed at the Financial Crimes Unit. Kurt Sansone

09:42 Good morning. Kurt Sansone