Opposition reignites call for independent public inquiry into alleged ‘vote buying’

The Nationalist Party has reignited calls for the setting of an independent public inquiry into allegations that the citizenship-by-investment programme was being used to “buy votes” – the allegation was raised after a number of IIP beneficiaries were granted the right to vote despite not the minimum requirements.

According to The Times of Malta, the Electoral Commission has sent three legal letters to Identity Malta asking to hand over information in connection with the IIP beneficiaries.

In June, MaltaToday reported how Electoral Commissioner Joseph Church wrote to Joseph Vella Bonnici that Identity Malta, which is also responsible for the IIP that sells Maltese citizenship for €650,000, was not providing his office with monthly lists of registered citizens and naturalised citizens.

“It is of utmost importance that such lists are submitted on a regular basis in conformity with provisions of the law,” Church told Vella Bonnici last summer. “The last monthly lists supplied to this office were for August 2014 (registration) and for December 2014 (naturalisation).”

The Nationalist opposition accused Justice Minister Owen Bonnici of making himself an accomplice “to the corruption”. “The minister, politically responsible of the Agency, is not taking steps against those who are guilty,” the PN said.

“Identity Malta is led by corruption and has, for months on end, refused to pass on details to the Electoral Commission.”

The PN said Identity Malta did not want to publicize the names of those who would be voting in the next general elections, whilst seeking the Justice Minister’s refuge.