Identità must publish an internal probe into claims that thousands of ID cards were falsified, the Nationalist Party said on Monday.
The call prompted the Home Affairs Ministry to reiterate that the inquiry cannot be divulged, as it is now part of an ongoing police investigation.
The two sides traded barbs days after a magistrate accepted a request by lawyer – and former PN MP – Jason Azzopardi to begin a magisterial probe into the claims.
Azzopardi has said he has information that thousands of identities were effectively falsified by state agency Identità, as part of a years-long identity scam.
The agency and the government have stopped short of denying the claims, instead saying Identità carried out its own internal investigation and reported some “individuals” suspected of wrongdoing to the police.
Concerns about identity theft ramped up last week after The Sunday Times of Malta reported multiple cases in which individuals were being referred to hospital for medical appointments and surgeries they did not book.
On Monday, the PN said that the buck stopped with the government, specifically Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri.
Apart from publishing Identità’s internal probe, it said, the government should also immediately set up a platform providing property owners full visibility of the people registered with the agency living at their properties.
In a reaction, the Home Affairs Ministry said Identità had reported suspected wrongdoing to the police and improved its governance structures.
The ministry said that publishing the internal investigation, as the Opposition wanted, would risk ruining the ongoing police investigation.
It also reiterated Identità’s explanation to property owners reporting receiving correspondence addressed to people who do not live there: tenants could have moved or falsely used that address to sign up for services or goods.
The ministry urged private operators to verify customer addresses by ensuring they match those listed on people’s residence documents or ID cards.
“Identità cannot and will not be held responsible for false or fraudulent information being given to companies, entities or suppliers,” the ministry said.