Maltese companies distance themselves from 'Ndrangheta-linked namesakes

Five Maltese companies have issued a joint media statement, clarifying that they have no connection with similarly-named companies, linked to the ‘Ndrangheta betting network which had been set up in Malta.

In a brief statement issued this afternoon, Unique Construction and Developers Limited, Unique Investment Holdings Limited, Unique Imports Limited and Unique Rentals Limited explain that they have no connection whatsoever with Uniq Group Limited and Uniq Shopping Limited, which had been scrutinized as part of an Italian investigation into organised crime.

The companies explained that they felt the need to issue the statement after yesterday receiving “non-stop” phone calls from concerned clients asking whether the companies were involved in the police investigations.

The clarification comes after yesterday's arrest in Malta of  six Italian nationals – Mario Gennaro, 39, Margherita Giudetti, 34, Francesco Ripepi, 38, Alessandro Ciaffi, 40, Rocco Ripepi, 36 and Fortunato Stracuzzi, 37, - who are connected to the Betuniq brand, part of the Uniq group, under a European Arrest Warrant. The mafia used these multi-million legal betting operations for money laundering and tax evasion purposes.

According to police, Gennaro had registered Betuniq limited in Malta.

Uniq Group, which controlled 1,500 gaming and betting agencies across Italy, had been described in the Italian media as wielding an “economic power of gigantic proportions.”

The company, which was registered in 2010, is owned by Start Games Limited, whose shareholders are the fiduciary company GVM Holdings, which is owned, in turn, by the law firm of former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi. GVM offers its fiduciary services to dozens of gaming companies, and it appears as the nominal shareholder in the companies Uniq Group, Uniq Shopping, and Enetsport Service. Enetsport is owned by Start Games, Solution for Bet Limited, OGC Company Limited, and MGame Holding Limited – which companies in turn also own BestSolution 4U.