Carmen Ciantar not yet called in for questioning as she files second request for police investigation

Carmen Ciantar has sent a second letter to the Police Commissioner asking that she be investigated over allegations of bribery from the concessionaire of a hospitals privatisation deal.

Ciantar told MaltaToday on Wednesday that she is yet to be called in for questioning from the police and has received no contact from investigative authorities over the matter.

In her letter, signed by her lawyer, Ciantar asked that she be investigated as soon as possible. “As a citizen she has every right to request to clarify her position,” the letter reads.

Carmen Ciantar, who used to head the Foundation for Medical Services, tendered her suspension from the post last week following bribery claims in a Pakistani news portal.

Daily Pakistan reported last week that Ciantar received several payments totalling €443,500 from Gozo International Medicare Ltd between October 2015 and February 2016.

The news portal claimed that the information came from a leaked tranche of banking documents, which indicated there were at least 15 invoices submitted to Gozo International Medicare by Ciantar.

She has since written to the Police Commissioner asking that she be investigated. “I assure you that I’m available to give you my full and unconditional cooperation and so that the truth will come out”.

The news report also alleged that the money was paid from the company’s account at the Dubai-headquartered Emirates NBD Bank. The portal claimed that the company then transferred €750,000 as a “loan repayment” into an account at Bordier & Cie Geneva, a Swiss private bank, registered to a Panamanian entity, Glotal Finance Inc., which purportedly referenced Ciantar.