Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri has denied being aware of an alleged racket at LESA which saw fines and penalty points forgiven and transferred to tourists.

“The coordinated and desperate attack against me continued today with unfounded and baseless allegations intended to smear me and attack my integrity,” Camilleri said.

“Those who know me know how I have always acted, and I therefore look forward to the investigation of allegations.”

Lawyer Jason Azzopardi today requested a magisterial inquiry into an alleged racket at LESA, which he said resulted in fines and penalty points transferred from recipients to tourists who had rented cars during their stay in Malta.

The fines were allegedly automatically deducted from their bank accounts and the penalty points transferred to their names, although they would have been none the wiser as it wouldn’t impact their driving licenses back home.

Prime Minister Robert Abela also denied having any prior knowledge of the alleged racket.

“It is an outrageous lie and a false declaration, and a blatant abuse of the safeguards provided to judicial documents,” he said. “It is cowardly to bring forward such malicious judicial acts with the sole purpose of hoping some mud will stick and to take advantage of the secrecy of an inquiry so that one cannot publicly refute the allegations.”

LESA CEO Svetlick Flores also denied any knowledge or involvement in the scheme and said he is willing to collaborate in any investigation.