Police Commissioner has failed to take action on Pilatus Bank

As the Chairman of Pilatus Bank was finally arrested in the United States, questions remain as to how he has been allowed to manoeuvre with impunity in Malta since being granted a licence to operate a bank under this Labour administration.

Joseph Muscat, Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi have spent the entire last year defending the actions of Pilatus Bank and its Chairman. Malta’s Police Commissioner has spent the last year mirroring the Government line and refusing to take any action on the most serious corruption and money-laundering allegations in Malta in a generation.

As the news broke of Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad’s arrest, the Police Commissioner has again been found wanting. He has yet to direct his force to investigate Pilatus Bank or even seal off the bank’s Ta’ Xbiex headquarters in order to preserve what evidence may still be there. He has instead remained silent.

The PN has called for the Bank’s licence to be revoked immediately and called for an investigation into this bank.

We have long called for action to protect the integrity of the Maltese financial service industry which relies on a reputation of strong enforcement and stamping out abuse. With no action being taken Malta’s reputation will continue to suffer.

The message is clear: you can run and run, but you will not be able to hide forever.