Whistleblower Mario Efimova insisted on Thursday she "stand by [her] words" on the Egrant claims. 

Interviewed by commentator David Thake on Facebook, Ms Efimova said that even after the Egrant inquiry called for criminal proceedings against her for calumny she stands by her words.

"I found the declarations, I saw the transactions… if they didn’t find any indications, they should go back to the police because if I believe correctly, the inquiry had some limits.

"Maybe the police should go ask about the second system or maybe not, because maybe they destroyed everything by now," Ms Efimova said. 

The Egrant inquiry called for criminal proceedings against Maria Efimova, the Russian whistleblower who passed on information to the slain journalist.

In the inquiry’s conclusion, Judge Aaron Bugeja said that while Ms Efimova gave some statements deemed to be true, many others were found to be false. 

It found many of her statements were contradicted by other witnesses and documents analysed. 

Pilatus Bank 'parallel systems'

In the live Facebook video interview, Ms Efimova also alleges that Pilatus Bank ran two parallel systems - one which they would use to present to any authorities that asked for information, and a second one for operations which they wanted to not be traced. 

"The bank had two books. If they never search for that and if they only search the one for the less dangerous operations, of course they could not find. They ran two parallel systems," Ms Efimova said, adding that she had given both the magistrate and the police this information. 

On why nobody else from the bank had spoken out as she had done, Ms Efimova said most of her colleagues did not have "much banking experience". She was adamant, however, that they all had access to the second system. 

"They didn’t have a clue what is going on. Almost everybody had access to that second system, they just didn’t understand it was a second system. To connect to it, you need to access another server. 

"I remember they all had their username and passwords and I know because sometimes they would ask me about it," Ms Efimova claimed. 

On publishing the documents in hand

Ms Efimova said she feared publishing or handing the documents from Pilatus Bank to the magistrate because she did not yet have whistleblower status and so had no protection. 

"For me to provide those documents, I want not just whistleblower status but also resignations from the prime minister, the police…," Ms Efimova said. 

On getting her documents tested by forensic companies, Ms Efimova said she was interested in getting them forensically examined but she would need to be "careful and at least have whistleblower status" before doing so. 

Psychological torture at the police HQ

Ms Efimova also claimed she was "psychologically tortured" by the police at the time when she was questioned over issues with Pilatus Bank. 

At the time, she said, she had gone round to "all ministers, OPM and the President" but nobody would help. The only support she found was from an assistant to Education Minister Evarist Bartolo, she said. 

 

 

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