Egrant Informer Maria Efimova Pays Tribute To Daphne Caruana Galizia After Winning Whistleblower Award
Former Pilatus Bank employee Maria Efimova, the main source behind the late Daphne Caruana Galizia’s story that the Prime Minister’s wife owns the Panama company Egrant, has won an international whistleblowing award.
Blueprint For Free Speech, an Australian NGO advocating for free speech, announced Efimova’s prize during an award ceremony last night at the Frontline Club, a popular press club in London.
Efimova, who is now residing in Greece, didn’t travel to the event but sent out a message that was read during last night’s Valletta vigil for Daphne Caruana Galizia.
“Whistleblowers are people who are not afraid to speak out,” Efimova said. “They are people that stand for their principles and beliefs. In the absence of a well-established international legislative practice to protect and support those shedding light on hidden illegal actions, whistleblowers find courage believing in equality of all the people before the law. However, the task of fighting alone may turn into mission impossible. Therefore, support from organisations such as Blueprint becomes of paramount importance.”
“I would like to dedicate my award to a person who helped me to reveal important information to the public, who became my voice, or rather, my pen – Daphne Caruana Galizia – great journalist, talented investigator, intelligent and a very thoughtful person. God rest her soul and bring those responsible for her assassination to justice.”
Joseph Muscat sheds a tear after a magisterial inquiry finds no evidence to back up the Egrant story
Efimova has kept a low profile since a magisterial inquiry last year found no evidence to substantiate her story that the Panama company Egrant belongs to Michelle Muscat and that it had received large sums of money from a Dubai company belonging to Azerbaijan’s ruling family.
Malta has issued a European Arrest Warrant against her, not because of the Egrant story but because she had failed to turn up to court to face two sets of criminal charges against her. Efimova has been charged with defrauding Pilatus Bank out of €2000 and with falsely accusing three police officers, including former FIAU investigator Jonathan Ferris, of maltreating her when they had interrogated her for alleged fraud.
However, Greece has refused to extradite her to Malta. According to Greek media outlets, the courts ruled that Malta’s arrest warrant was too vague and that Efimova’s alleged crimes didn’t warrant an arrest warrant in the first place.
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