However, if word spreads that Maltese ID cards aren’t trustworthy and that third-country nationals are purchasing them with zero background checks, continental travel could become a whole lot harder for Maltese citizens. Azzopardi said that some overzealous Italian police officers are already refusing Maltese ID cards and demanding people show them their passports instead. Whether this is directly related to the racket is unclear but it cannot be taken lightly.

It would also constitute a major breach of privacy with the blessing of the state. Not only are people receiving mail addressed to foreign nationals they have never heard of, but some people’s ID cards have been duplicated and are receiving information for services and treatment they never requested.

So if you’re receiving their data because you have the same ID card number, are these people receiving your data too? What are they doing with it? What happened to GDPR?

Some of these people might also have the right to vote. Azzopardi warned that the electoral register for the recent local council elections included six foreign nationals registered at the former Serena Hotel in Xlendi, which has been closed for years.

We don’t know whether they actually voted, but they could have. If this is widespread, it would constitute electoral fraud and turn our democracy into a sham.

Meanwhile, people who have built a life in Malta and who tick all the boxes for citizenship by naturalisation have been denied it without being given a reason.

And where is the government in all of this? How are Robert Abela and Byron Camilleri going to put people’s minds at rest that they intend to get to the bottom of this problem? Is anyone going to be held accountable for this alleged racket that could involve travel issues for Maltese citizens, identity theft, data protection breaches, corruption, and electoral fraud all in one?

Are the Prime Minister’s new head of secretariat Mark Mallia, who was Identita’ CEO for two years, and his predecessor Anton Sevasta going to say anything?

Are the authorities going to keep on pretending to tackle the population issue by forcing people to pay higher prices for cab rides and food delivery on the basis of a “study” that has yet to be published even as thousands of ‘new Maltese people’ are being illicitly created to make a few people rich?

Or are they just going to hope that the problem will just go away even as it grows and grows?

The full interview, which is just under two hours long, will be published on Sunday.