Labour MP Ian Castaldi Paris reportedly owes up to €100,000 to Malta’s tax authorities, with investigations uncovering large sums of unexplained wealth. 

Sources who spoke to The Times of Malta revealed that Castaldi Paris was first placed under investigation by the Tax Compliance Unit two years ago. 

“I have paid my taxes every year and did not start paying my tax because I decided to contest elections,” he said in response to questions.

Castaldi Paris denied suggestions that the amount of unexplained wealth was in the region €1 million, insisting the figure was far lower. He did not divulge the number. 

Recently, Castaldi Paris was in the news following revelations that he had referenced purchasing a luxury multi-million euro London property in messages to Yorgen Fenech, the Tumas Group businessman who has since been charged with the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. He insists he was bluffing. 

Castaldi Paris was also at the centre of the recent controversy surrounding PL MP and district rival Rosianne Cutajar. Castaldi Paris, a notary, had drafted which implicated Cutajar in a controversial Mdina property deal involving Yorgen Fenech.

In his report, Standards Commissioner George Hyzler wrote that Castaldi Paris’ role “in the affidavit story and its release to the media remains ambiguous at best”. 

MaltaToday reported that Cutajar had subsequently messaged Castaldi Paris angrily to say he must have been “dying of hunger” to draft a fake affidavit against his parliamentary colleague. 

Castaldi Paris told Hyzler that a person had entered his office to threaten his family if he passed on the affidavit to the authorities, but the MP refused to confirm whether he filed a police report over the threat or not. 

It remains to be seen whether any action will be taken, with an OPM spokesperson saying”

“The prime minister will take any necessary decisions following the final outcome of the pending matter. Furthermore, an MP declaration of assets form is submitted annually by members of parliament, and the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life is endowed with the remit to review the correctness or otherwise of these declarations. To date, the prime minister has not been informed of any shortcomings nor of any investigation in this regard.”

What do you think of the revelations?