Fenech Adami had turned down ‘golden passport’ proposal, says former ambassador

Former prime minister Eddie Fenech Adami refused to consider a money-raking scheme to sell Maltese passports at the start of his premiership back in 1987.

Former ambassador Noel Buttigieg Scicluna told party organ In-Nazzjon that Fenech Adami had been proposed the idea to sell citizenship, as an investment-promotion vehicle for Hong Kong citizens expecting an imminent handover to China from British ownership.

Buttigieg Scicluna was commenting on the government's scheme to rake in €30 million in the sale of Maltese passports at the price of €650,000 per individual application.

"During his time as prime minister there was a lot of pressure on him to turn Maltese citizenship into a commodity that could be sold. At the time Hong Kong [then still under British ownership] was in citizenship talks with the Chinese, and it was suggested to the Fenech Adami government it could sell Hong Kong citizens who were afraid to be part of the Chinese regime Maltese citizenship."

According to Buttigieg Scicluna, Fenech Adami did not accede to the request, even though Malta was then passing through "an economically strained period".

The government will be selling Maltese citizenship as part of its Individual Investor Programme, through its exclusive concessionaire Henley & Partners. Applicants will have to pay €650,000 for a passport, and other reduced fees for their spouses or dependents, apart from passing due diligence tests conducted by Henley or its registered agents. Identity Malta will be the government agency that will recommend the applicants pushed by Henley for eventual naturalisation by the Home Affairs Minister.