Police, magistrate yet to summon Fearne's aide, Carmen Ciantar, for questioning

The police and the inquiring magistrate investigating the Vitals Global Healthcare hospitals deal are yet to call Carmen Ciantar in for questioning over bribery allegations. 

Ciantar confirmed with MaltaToday that neither the police nor the magistrate have summoned her since the allegations came out in foreign media.  

A police spokesperson also told MaltaToday that investigations are being carried out in coordination with the inquiring magistrate in this regard. 

The allegations of bribery stem from news reports in Pakistani media which claimed that Ciantar received several payments totalling €443,500 from Gozo International Medicare Ltd between October 2015 and February 2016. 

The reports claim 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. 

The news report also alleged that the money was paid from the company’s account at the Dubai-headquartered Emirates NBD Bank. The news portal Daily Pakistan 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. 

Since the allegations came out, Ciantar has written to the Police Commissioner asking that she be investigated over the claims being made. She also tendered her suspension as head of the Foundation for Medical Services. 

Health Minister Chris Fearne also urged police and authorities to investigate the bribery allegations.

READ ALSO: Carmen Ciantar’s bribery allegations: Where are they coming from?

Another report from Ukrainian news portal censor.net claimed that Ciantar’s daughter, Celine Camilleri Ciantar, received suspicious payments from Austrian businessman Vyacheslav Reszchikov. 

The article is not accessible in Malta but was reproduced in the EU Reporter. It was later taken down after Celine Camilleri Ciantar issued a right of reply denying the allegations. 

Camilleri Ciantar categorically denied the reports. In her right of reply, her lawyers said that she “does not even know, be it directly or indirectly, Mr Vyacheslav Reszchikov”. 

“Our client reiterates that this article and the allegations it contains are completely baseless, unfounded and are pure inventions solely intended to damage and harm our client’s good repute and professional standing.”  

“This article and the series of lies and conjectures being maliciously pushed forward by third parties against our client and her mother, Ms Carmen Ciantar, are a complete fabrication simply intended to cause harm to the private and professional lives of our clients.”

READ ALSO: ‘Hidden hand’ peddling corruption stories to discredit Chris Fearne