Daphne Caruana Galizia’s Family Reacts To Egrant Inquiry: ‘We Still Don’t Know Why Panama Company Was Set Up’
The family of assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has reacted to the Egrant inquiry findings by pointing out that the inquiring magistrate was unable to prove who the Panama company was set up for.
“The Maltese public is expected to simply accept as fact that we will never know for whom Egrant Inc was set up,” the family said in a statement. “This is a dangerous notion that cannot coexist with democracy. In the conclusions to his inquiry report, Magistrate Aaron Bugeja is unable to say with confidence that the Prime Minister is guiltless, nor can he state unequivocally that the allegations are false as he has been unable to prove the ownership of Egrant Inc., an anonymous Panamanian shell company that no longer exists.”
“When Magistrate Bugeja’s inquiry went on for several months longer than the Labour Party expected, many hoped its findings would be conclusive. That was always a false hope and one Daphne Caruana Galizia never shared.”
The inquiry dismissed Daphne Caruana Galizia’s Egrant story, arguing there was no evidence that the company ever had a Pilatus bank account, far less that it had received funds from a company owned by Azerbaijan’s ruling family. It also flagged serious contradictions between the testimonies of the late journalist and that of her informer Maria Efimova, who has since fled the country.
The only documentary evidence the magistrate managed to get his hands on was a copy of an alleged declaration of trust showing Egrant belongs to Michelle Muscat that was handed to him by Pierre Portelli – back then editor of the Malta Independent and now in charge of the Nationalist Party’s media.
Nexia BT partners Brian Tonna and Karl Cini
Bugeja also delved into the origins of Egrant, when it was acquired by Nexia BT from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca – along with two other companies intended for Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Keith Schembri.
He confirmed that Nexia BT partner Karl Cini had contacted Mossack Fonseca on 14th March 2013 for the acquisition of a single Panama company. However, in July and August 2013, Nexia BT boss Brian Tonna signed off purchase orders for three Panama companies – Hearnville, Tillgate and Egrant. Forensic analysts couldn’t find any email evidence from Nexia BT requesting three Panama companies from Mossack Fonseca between Cini’s first email and the final purchase orders.
Caruana Galizia’s family noted there are still question marks as to why Egrant was set up in the first place, highlighted reports that Nexia BT had only given Mossack Fonseca the name of Egrant’s ultimate beneficial owner via Skype as well as a series of reports by Lovin Malta which dispute Tonna’s claim that Egrant was set up for him.
They also noted that the United Arab Emirates, where Caruana Galizia alleged that Egrant held a bank account, has failed to respond to the magistrate’s request for information.
“Daphne Caruana Galizia knew that the only way to get to the whole truth about Egrant Inc. and the Prime Minister – the company’s ownership is not the only pending question – is for the Maltese authorities to investigate Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri, Brian Tonna, Karl Cini, and the remaining staff at Pilatus Bank while they are still within easy reach,” the family said. “Malta’s state authorities have failed and continue to fail to investigate the people who masterminded Malta’s state capture despite being empowered to do so and despite formal requests made by the former Leader of the Opposition and MP Simon Busuttil.
“Joseph Muscat’s public statement in reaction to the inquiry report, and the attendant public communication by his aides and supporters, has focused on the absence of further evidence that Egrant Inc. belongs to Joseph Muscat or his wife, Michelle, rather than on the key public interest question which has not been satisfied by the Bugeja inquiry: who was the ultimate beneficial owner of the now defunct Panamanian company Egrant Inc.?”
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