The Puttinu Cares Foundation, which helps families of children suffering from cancer, is the biggest beneficiary of donations made by millionaires wanting to buy a Maltese passport.
Statistics obtained from the government following a request under the Freedom of Information Act, show that, until last month, Puttinu received more than €1 million in donations from new Maltese citizens who took advantage of the possibility of making handouts to NGOs to show their ‘bond’ with Malta.
According to the cash-for-passports scheme, introduced in 2013, third country nationals wanting to obtain Maltese citizenship need to satisfy a number of criteria, mainly financial, including the payment of €650,000 per passport and the purchase or rent of property in Malta.
Maltese NGOs have enjoyed a bonanza of donations
One of the provisions of the scheme aimed at millionaires, also caters for the possibility for foreign individuals making a charitable donation to a Maltese NGO. According to the rules, this will earn applicants more points in showing their close ‘bond’ to the island.
Despite the controversial nature of the scheme, criticised by various quarters including international organisations, Maltese NGOs have enjoyed a bonanza of donations, with a kitty already reaching €3.8 million.
The statistics provided show that, apart from Puttinu, the Malta Community Chest Fund (€919,000), the Claris Foundation (€188,000) Id-Dar tal-Providenza (€138,000), Inspire (€128,000) and the Rotary Club (€112,000) were the most significant beneficiaries so far.
The government statistics also list Heritage Malta and the University of Malta as NGO receiving €300,000 and €100,000 in donations respectively.
The list of beneficiaries, 100 in all, also features football clubs, church and environment NGOs and the President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, among others.
The government would not give the original nationality of the donors and would only say that “all donations are done by persons who are now Maltese citizens”.
The Times of Malta filed a Freedom of Information request after questions sent to the Office of the Prime Minister last September to obtain the same data had remained unanswered.
Incidentally, a day before the end of the statutory 20-day deadline during which the Office of the Prime Minister was bound to supply the requested information, the data sought by this newspaper appeared in a news item on MaltaToday, which quoted the parliamentary secretariat responsible for the cash-for-passports programme.
ivan.camilleri@timesofmalta.com