Stop humiliating Malta, Casa insists

Addressing the European Parliament, MEP and PN Head of Delegation in the European Parliament David Casa declared that the recent ECJ ruling on Malta’s passport scheme vindicated the long-standing position that Maltese and European citizenship was not for sale.

Casa was speaking during a debate in the European Parliament’s plenary session, which was called following the ECJ’s ruling and reports that wealthy Russians used their acquired Maltese citizenship to evade sanctions packages adopted following the invasion of Ukraine.

"I am not here to defend the millions pocketed by Henley and Partners," Casa declared. "I am here to defend the identity of the Maltese and Gozitan people."

Casa had been campaigning against the scheme since its inception, notably for the risk of organised crime, money laundering and sanctions evasion which has drawn outrage and the scrutiny of EU institutions.

He slammed the kickback allegations surrounding the scheme, as well as the attempted intimidation of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who faced Government-sanctioned SLAPP threats for exposing wrongdoing around the scheme.

Casa also recalled the government’s efforts to silence critics, including the Opposition, through smear campaigns and threats. “They called us traitors. They launched a campaign of hatred against everyone who worked to stop the scheme.”

He concluded by emphasizing the significance of the ECJ’s ruling as a victory for Malta and its people.

“This is a win for the Maltese who are tired of seeing their country’s name trampled to serve the greed of a few. But we need more—stronger action from the European Commission. We cannot afford to wait years to address the collapse of the rule of law that still plagues our country.”

"The people of Malta and Gozo deserve better," Casa asserted.