PN MP Jason Azzopardi has raised alarm after a disposal bag containing a large amount of paper was left outside Chetcuti Cauchi Advocates, the law firm at the centre of a scandal involving passport sales and ministerial connections.

“The same thing happened outside the office of Nexia BT the day Daphne wrote an article about them. They had sent a Kasco van to pick them up.”

It should be noted that yesterday was recycling day in Valletta. While the amount of paper shredded, even though seemingly alarming given the circumstance, seems to be like a normal amount for a large office.

In a feature that focused on the Individual Investor Programme (IIP), lawyers of Chetcuti Cauchi are shown meeting who they thought were legal representatives of African clients who were interested in purchasing Maltese citizenship.

“Julia Farrugia, the parliamentary secretary in charge of the programme, is a childhood friend of my wife. It’s good to have a wife with similar friends,” a representative is heard saying.

At another point, he speaks of his own personal relationship with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in their school days.

The conversation then took a turn, with the lawyers claim authorities can close an eye to clients with a criminal record.

“Later, I can give them new information that would benefit the client,” the person said.

Both Muscat and Farrugia Portelli have denied the claims, insisting that their relationship did not extend beyond the primary school bus. However, photos show that the pair met with the Managing Director of the firm a number of times over the past few years.