Updated | PN wants inquiry into passports brokered by IIP agent in French dossier

Government’s decision to suspend agent’s licence, ‘too little, too late’

23 September 2019, 5:45pm
by Kurt Sansone

1 min read

PN spokesperson Karol Aquilina

The Nationalist Party is calling for the Individual Investor Programme to be suspended after claims of trading in influence made by a passport agent to undercover French journalists.

PN citizenship spokesperson Karol Aquilina also called for an inquiry into every passport application made by the agent, who boasted of his connections with government ministers.

“Government’s decision to suspend the licence of the IIP agent mentioned in the latest scandal is too little, too late,” Aquilina said, describing the government as the most corrupt in this country’s history.

The IIP agency has suspended the licence of Chetcuti Cauchi Advisors, the firm at the centre of controversy, and the passport regulator has been asked to investigate every passport brokered by the firm.

Aquilina added that the PN had warned from the inception of the IIP scheme that the sale of citizenship would give Malta a bad reputation.

“It has now been confirmed that a company involved in the sale of passports is boasting of its relations and influence on the Prime Minister and other ministers… it transpires this company can also arrange for the authorities to close an eye when a person with a criminal record wants to buy a Maltese passport,” Aquilina said.

Another day another #scandal. Tarnishing #Malta's reputation consistent trait of @MaltaGov. Suspend IIP & launch #independent investigation into every passport application made by this agent.
— Adrian Delia (@adriandeliapn) 23 September 2019

This situation, he added, showed how government’s decision to sell Maltese citizenship was putting thousands of jobs in the financial services industry at risk.

PN leader Adrian Delia, writing on Twitter, also said an independent investigation should be carried out, and called for the IIP scheme to be suspended.

Kurt Sansone is Executive Editor of MaltaToday. He was formerly deputy editor of MaltaTod...