Room 404 Not Found: Closed Xlendi Hotel Used As ID Cards Address
Lawyer and former PN MP Jason Azzopardi revealed the names of six foreigners who are registered as residing in a Gozo hotel owned by Joseph Portelli that has been closed for the last four years.
The names of these people were eligible to vote in the Munxar Local Council election as their names appear in the Electoral Register of April 2024.
Ironically, one person was registered as living in room 404.
These are the names and ID card numbers:
Forgione Umberto – ID 81196A; Laidma Veikko Erik – ID 168407A; Orlando Concita – ID 127881A; Stoica Ionut-Alexandru – ID 172715A; Valletta Raimondo Gian-Michele – ID 476463M, and Marco Trione —0144868A (Room 404 Hotel Xlendi).
“What’s scandalous about this?” Azzopardi wrote on Facebook.
“They don’t really live there. Nobody lives there. And nobody is staying inside the Xlendi Hotel which has been closed for four years.”
In 2017, the hotel’s Facebook page announced that it will be closing its doors for major refurbishment and in the following years, its demolition began, Azzopardi wrote.
“And you say, Marco Trione – 0144868A is registered as living in Room 404 Hotel Xlendi when it doesn’t exist. Go today and tell me if there is a single door or a single window in this building, let alone Room 404.”
“These people had the right to vote in the Munxar Local Council election in June 2024 because their names appear in the Electoral Register of April 2024. This property belongs to Joe Portelli. What happened between Joe Portelli and Identity Malta through a broker to issue them Maltese ID cards that were never supposed to be issued.”
“I told you. The Magisterial Inquiry that I opened on the corruption of Identity Malta will go in directions that you cannot foresee.”
Earlier this month, Azzopardi’s request for a magisterial inquiry into alleged corruption, conspiracy, organised crime, falsification of documents and money laundering surrounding an Identita’ racket.
Alleged to have started operating in 2015, the scandal reportedly saw approximately 18,000 false Maltese identity cards issued to individuals primarily from Egypt and Libya.
Each document was allegedly sold for prices ranging from €2,000 to €8,000, generating an estimated €60 million for those involved. And what’s more, falsified documents were also allegedly sent to these individuals to addresses which they not only lived in, but those belonging to Maltese citizens who had no idea of the racket.
Lovin Malta sat down with Azzopardi yesterday for an exclusive interview, stay tuned for the whole clip.
Were you a victim of this ID card scandal?
READ NEXT: Watch: 'I've Checked Under My Car' - Jason Azzopardi Opens Up About Assassination Fears
