Updated | Mario de Marco: 'Opposition will not support prostitution of Malta's identity, citizenship'

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Saturday morning and, a rare occasion, parliament reconvened at 9am to discuss the proposed amendments to the Maltese Citizenship Act. Even more rare is the presence of all government and opposition MPs, with the exception of Labour MP Joe Debono Grech and Nationalist MPs Robert Arrigo and Mario Galea.

The House is now at committee stage and the two sides are going into the nitty-gritty of the law, scrutinising every new word that will form part of the law.

The Opposition, pushed by Mario de Marco, Francis Zammit Dimech, Tonio Fenech and Jason Azzopardi, have asked for a concrete definition of the word "investment".

"Let's talk about investment because there is no investment in the way the Individual Investor Programme is being applied," de Marco said.

Generating the support of fellow MPs, Fenech argued that 'investment' implies getting something in return: "Going to the grocer and buying a can of peas is not an investment. And this is how we have reduced our citizenship."

He insisted that "any Tom, Dick and Harry who never invested a cent in his country could buy a Maltese passport without ever setting foot on Maltese soil".

Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia told the Opposition that the point on investment was "exactly where the two sides disagreed".

"The government has its position. This is our position and nothing will change it. You had the opportunity to speak with Henley & Partner and they have explained everything about investment," Mallia said.

With 24 minutes into the committee and the discussion was still stuck on the definition of investment, government whip Carmelo Abela intervened to object that the questions being raised by the Opposition MPs had already been raised during the bill's second reading.

Abela's comments sparked shouts from the opposite benches, with Fenech dubbing government "arrogant".

"May I remind you that you took eight sessions during the debate on EU accession and no one will stop me from speaking," Fenech said.

Zammit Dimech told Abela that the "more you try to stop me, the more I will speak at length".

The Opposition's first proposed amendment was to change the title from "individual investor programme" to "individual donor programme".

The amendment was put to vote, division called and committee suspended for five minutes.

The amendemnt was defeated with 27 votes in favour and 38 against; Clause 2 approved with 38 votes in favour and 27 against.

An Opposition's proposal to include in the law that the oath of allegiance should take place in Malta was approved by both sides of the House.

Fine introduced for unauthorised marketing of IIP

Clause 4 of the proposed amendment states that anyone who for gain or without being duly authority publishes or disseminates publicly any information about the individual investor programme shall be guilty of an offence and, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding €20,000.

Mallia said that only Identity Malta had the authorization to give companies or individuals the authority to market the IIP.

De Marco however noted that, according to the law, anyone who published general information on the IIP made him liable to a fine. But Mallia argued that the fine would be applied to those who disseminate information for personal gain.

Fenech argued that the fine was "exaggerated". "I believe that it should focus on who is or is not idoneous to market the scheme," he said.

Mallia said the government proposed that the amendment should remain as is, but proposals put forward by the Opposition on the consideration of who should or shouldn't market the scheme should be included in the Identity Malta regulations.

Opposition proposes five years residence requirement

Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi proposed an amendment to the law, stating that citizenship should be granted after an applicant would have resided in Malta for at least five years and invested a minimum of €5 million in the Maltese economy.

The amendment also proposes a requirement of spending at least 30 days in Malta every year.

"We are not reinventing the wheel. If government wants investment, and given that Malta Enterprise already provides incentives to foreign investors, we could use the programme to generate jobs," Azzopardi said.

 Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said there should be "clear investment" and not "a mere contribution or donation".

"It is untrue that including a minimum residence period of five years or ensuring investment would make the scheme less worthwhile. It would also mean that the government enjoys the Opposition's support," Busuttil said.

"These amendments change the concept of selling citizenship to one which commits a foreigner to the country."

"With all due respect, these arguments have already been put forward and I have nothing else to add," Mallia replied.

Amendment put to vote, division called.

Proposal defeated with 38 votes against and 28 in favour. (There are now 28 PN MPs)

Appointment of Regulator

The Bill proposes the appointment of a Regulator to oversee the correct implemenation and monitoring of the individual investor programme. The Regulator should have held the office of Judge or Magistrate, or who has held the office of the Attorney General or permanent secretary or who has practiced as an advocate in Malta for a period of at least twelve years.

Yesterday evening, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he would be proposing Godwin Grima for the post of Regulator. Grima served as the head of civil service under the Nationalist administration.

According to the law, the Regulator would be appointed after consulting the leader of the Opposition.

De Marco however noted that Simon Busuttil had not been consulted, with Mallia adding that Grima had not yet been appointed.

"Usually, you first consult and then you announce," de Marco said.

The Opposition voted against this clause as well.

Controversy: keeping 'citizenship secret'

The Opposition said it was against keeping names of those who acquired citizenship under the IIP hidden.

According to the proposed law, "the Regulator shall make an annual report on the discharge of his functions to the Minister which annual report shall not include personal data relating to individuals who have acquired Maltese citizenship under the individual investor programme".

The Opposition said that while every three months the government published information on individuals who acquired Maltese citizenship under any other process, government was now making an exception to those individuals who purchased citizenship.

"Why all this secrecy? This is absurd. Why should government incentivise someone to remain hidden?," Zammit Dimech said. He said Maltese were now being denied the right to know who is Maltese.

Mallia said the "government had nothing else to add". He also said that the regulator would be publishing an annual report to be tabled in parliament.

Azzopardi added that "secrecy itself will give rise to suspicions".

Tonio Fenech that Malta, over the years, gained a strong reputation in the financial services sector to the extent that Malta was in the OECD white list.

But according to Mallia, the law will not change anything.

Azzopardi challenges Mallia

Jason Azzopardi challenged Manuel Mallia over an email which Azzopardi declared was in Russian. Mallia yesterday said Azzopardi "didn't know what he was talking about" because the email was not in Russian.

But today, Azzopardi stood up in parliament and challenged Mallia over the email.

"That email is in Russian. And I challenge you: if the email is in Russian, I resign. If not, you have to resign," Azzopardi told Mallia.

The minister however said that he sent the email to "three translators who all said it was not in Russian".

"If you want I can give you a written declaration from these translators," he said.

As calls to accept the challenge were being made from the Opposition side, Mallia said he didn't want Azzopardi to resign. "You are such a capable person... I want you to stay," he said.

Busuttil: PN government to publish names

Simon Busuttil reiterated that a Nationalist government would publish the whole list of names of individuals who would have acquired citizenship under the IIP.

Law sets up monitoring committee

The government proposed an amendment to its draft law to set up a monitoring committee. The monitoring committee would be composed of the Prime Minister, the minister for home affairs and the leader of the Opposition.

Opposition votes against.

'We will not support government in prostituting country'

PN deputy leader for parliamentary affairs Mario de Marco said the Opposition would be voting against the law.

"We do not want to form part of a law which prostitutes Malta's identity and its citizenship," he said.