Minister implicated in Panama Papers says audit on his tax affairs to be published soon but refused to give any details or answer questions related to scandal
Minister Konrad Mizzi addresses a press conference at Delimara
Konrad Mizzi dodges journalists’ questions on Panama company
The minister without portfolio Konrad Mizzi has promised that tax audits on his personal offshore company launched back in 2016 in the wake of the Panama Papers scandal, will be published “very soon”.
The audits, an external one by an overseas Big Four firm, and one by the Inland Revenue Department, promised by the Prime Minister, are yet to be published eight months since they were ordered.
While Mizzi was demoted from energy minister, he is still the de facto minister, as witnessed today while he addressed a press conference with EU Commissioner for energy Maroš Šefčovič at Delimara, the site of Malta’s floating gas terminal.
“I have fully cooperated and given full information throughout,” Mizzi said at a press conference.
‘”Very soon, you will be in a position to ascertain the facts and all questions will be answered.”
Mizzi refused, however, to give the name of the audit firms conducting the audits, arguing that he doesn’t want to put pressure on their work.
Mizzi was accosted by journalists at the end of a press conference who wanted to grill him about the Panama Papers, but Mizzi refused to answer a point-blank question whether he has closed his company, arguing that the press conference was not related to the Panama Papers.
