MEPS of different political shades had written to the Greek authorities urging them to give protection to Pilatus Bank whistleblower Maria Efimova, who turned herself in to the police on Monday.

"Pilatus Bank, independently of Efimova's testimony, has been exposed as a money laundering outfit for very powerful people in Malta and Azerbaijan. The recent arrest of the Pilatus Bank's Chairman Ali Sadr Hasheminejad in the United States is further evidence of links to criminal activity," the MEPs said in a statement. 

Slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia published Ms Efimova’s account, which included details about an alleged $1 million transfer to secret Panama company Egrant from Azerbaijan’s ruling family.

Read: Pilatus whistleblower turns herself in to Greek police

The Russian national gave herself in to police hours before the Pilatus Bank chairman was arrest in the US on a separate issue.

A vicious campaign by the Maltese government to discredit and vilify Ms Efimova 

The MEPs said Pilatus Bank’s complicity with persons at the highest levels of the Maltese government and in particular with Keith Schembri, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, is well-established through leaked reports from Malta's anti-money laundering agency.

The MEPs said the 'vicious campaign' by the Maltese government to discredit and vilify Ms Efimova started immediately after she revealed herself as a source of Ms Caruana Galizia and is still ongoing.

After Ms Caruana Galizia's murder, Ms Efimova fled Malta saying she feared for her life and the security of her family.

The MEPs pointed out how Ms Caruana Galizia's sons had stated that European institutions had failed to protect their mother.

"Now they must protect her sources with the same vigour that should have protected her life. Maria Efimova is not an EU citizen, but she faces the same danger. She should be protected, as our mother should have been,” the sons had insisted.

The MEPs said that in view of the frivolous nature of the allegations against Ms Efimova (she stands accused of fraud in Malta following a complaint by the bank), they were calling on the Greek authorities to ensure that she was not returned to Malta, she was offered asylum and she was afforded protection. 

The statement was signed by: MEPs: AUSTREVICIUS Petras (ALDE), BAYET Hugues, (S&D), BILDT CORAZZA Anna Maria (EPP), CASA David (EPP), CHILDERS Nessa (S&D), CICU Salvatore (EPP), DE LANGE Esther (EPP), DURAND Pascal (GREENS/EFA), ENGEL Frank (EPP), FJELLNER Christofer (EPP), GASBARRA Enrico (S&D), GIEGOLD Sven (GREENS/EFA), GOMES Ana Maria (S&D), HADJIGEORGIOU Takis (GUE/NGL), HÖKMARK Gunnar (EPP), IN'T VELD Sophie (ALDE), JOLY Eva (GREENS/EFA), KÖSTER Dietmar (S&D), KOULOGLOU Stelios (GUE/NGL), KYLLONEN Merja (GUE/NGL), LANGEN Werner (EPP), LE HYARIC Patrick (GUE/NGL), MACOVEI Monica (ECR), MARTIN Edouard (S&D), METSOLA Roberta (EPP), PAGAZAURTUNDÚA Maite (ALDE), ROSATI Dariusz (EPP), SCHIRDEWAN Martin (GUE/NGL), SCHULZE Sven (EPP), TOMC Romana (EPP), URBAN CRESPO Miguel (GUE/NGL), VALLI Marco (EFDD), VANDENKENDELAERE Tom (EPP), VIEU Marrie-Pierre (GUE/NGL), ZAMMIT DIMECH Francis (EP P), ZIMMER Gabriel (GUE/NGL).

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