Casa tells MONEYVAL to investigate FIAU’s handling of 17 Black information

Nationalist Party MEP David Casa has called on MONEYVAL, the Council of Europe's permanent anti-money laundering monitoring body, to, investigate the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit's (FIAU) handling of information regarding the Dubai-registered company 17 Black.

MONEYVAL carries out evaluations in each member state to assess their compliance with international conventions and EU legislation, and will be in Malta in November for its fifth round of evaluations. 

In a statement on Friday afternoon, Casa said that come November MONEYVAL would be in a position to "establish statements made by the FIAU to be false", adding that "this will indicate the extent of the political capture of this institution".

Casa has repeatedly questioned public statements made by the FIAU, and has asked MONEYVAL to consider various points in their investigation. 

Among these points is what Casa described as deceit on the part of the FIAU "in questioning the authenticity of the Mizzi Report, with the intention of providing the concerned politicians with a means to falsely challenge the accuracy of resulting revelations". 

Casa also questioned the action taken by the FIAU, following the access to information regarding the identity of 17 Black’s ultimate beneficial owner, as well as the circumstances under which Casa says the FIAU leaked information concerning its intention to initiate proceedings against him. He said MONEYVAL should investigate whethr this was done at the behest of the politicians it was investigating.  

The PN MEP also asked MONEYVAL to investigate whether a wider investigation into the ultimate beneficial owner had been launched, insisting that clear evidence of money laundering had not resulted in any enforcement or prosecution.