The Panama Papers committee of the European Parliament wants to speak to Nationalist MPs Tonio Fenech and Beppe Fenech Adami, the Times of Malta has learnt.
Although widely known as the Panama Papers committee, it has a wider remit, which includes investigating alleged breaches of money- laundering, tax-avoidance and tax-evasion rules across the EU. The committee will pay a fact-finding visit to Malta next month.
Last year, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat ordered an inquiry after MaltaToday reported a police investigation was halted when Dr Fenech Adami’s name cropped up.
Dr Fenech Adami was a non-executive director of Baltimore Fiduciary Services. Baltimore nominally held the shares of another company, CapitalOne, which, in 2013, was investigated by the Dutch and local authorities over money-laundering allegations.
Dr Fenech Adami has said he did not even know the police were investigating the company.
Mr Fenech, a former finance minister, also hit the headlines as director of Falcon Funds. MaltaToday reported last week that the fund was being investigated by the Swedish Economic Crime Authority over allegations by the Swedish Pensions Authority (SPA) that it was unable to repay €247 million in savings to 22,000 investors.
As widely expected, the Minister Within the Office of the Prime Minister, Konrad Mizzi, and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, Keith Schembri, have been invited to testify. The two men have in the past refused to say whether they would appear before the committee. Last year, they were found to have opened secret Panama companies.
Also on the list of invitees is former Nationalist minister Ninu Zammit. According to data in the Swiss Leaks, Mr Zammit held $3.2 million in a secret Swiss account during his time as minister. Mr Zammit repatriated the funds under a government tax amnesty in 2014.
The Panama Papers committee has also sent an invite to Mary Ellen Mercieca, a secretary in the former rural affairs ministry.
Ms Mercieca was shown in the Panama Papers to hold a company in the British Virgin Islands opened by Nexia BT.
