The Prime Minister is insisting the failed attempts by Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri to open bank accounts were “standard en-quiries” and not formal attempts.
Joseph Muscat said yesterday that he was informed these type of enquiries were standard procedures offered by service providers, evidently taking the word of his two most trusted people.
But when asked whether he knew of these attempts, Dr Muscat said he did not discuss with the two men matters related to their service provider.
The Panama Papers released last Sunday show that the Energy Minister and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff tried to open a bank account in Dubai for their secretive companies in Panama.
However, the accounts were not opened because the bank deemed their public roles too risky. A similar attempt with a Panamanian bank also failed. Dr Muscat has insisted on calling these “standard enquiries”, pinning his ultimate decision on the independent audit of Dr Mizzi’s and Mr Schembri’s financial affairs.
Until last Sunday, Dr Mizzi had maintained that his Panama company did not own any bank accounts and had never traded.
Dr Muscat was speaking to the Times of Malta shortly after inaugurating a €4 million makeover at the Qawra Palace Hotel in Qawra.
“If the audit finds anything wrong or that there was money, I will kick them out,” he insisted when asked whether he would accept their resignations if they offered them.
The Prime Minister has so far resisted calls – even from within the Labour Party – to remove Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri. His comments came shortly after Opposition leader Simon Busuttil ac-cused Dr Mizzi of lying when he kept hidden the fact that there had been attempts to open accounts in Dubai and Panama.
Dr Busuttil called a national protest against corruption next Sunday in Valletta. He said people were angered by the Panama scandal and the most recent developments that showed Dr Mizzi had lied. He said the protest would allow people to vent their anger outside the Prime Minister’s office at Auberge de Castille.
The PN called on the Prime Minister to remove Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri. “If you will not remove them, then all three of you must go,” Dr Busuttil said, putting the onus on Dr Muscat to take action.
Meanwhile, during TV discussion programme TimesTalk yesterday evening, Alternattiva Demo-kratika deputy chairman Carmel Cacopardo said Dr Mizzi’s actions showed that he shunned accountability and transparency. “He wanted to go as far away as possible… This reflects badly on him as a minister and the Prime Minister’s inaction shows that if given the chance, he would also shun accountability and transparency,” Mr Cacopardo said.
The Panama Papers rocked the political establishment the world over, with the Icelandic prime minister being the first victim. He tendered his resignation yesterday amid protests in Reykjavik, after leaked documents showed that his wife owned a secret company in Panama and failed to declare it when he became an MP.