Request for magisterial inquiry reveals new ‘racket’ at Identity Malta

Cocaine parties for the rich and the privileged, fake marriages, and a line-up of people leading up to the top echelons of power linked to the issuing of documents for some 18,000 Third Country Nationals (TCNs) are detailed in a request for a magisterial inquiry into a ‘racket’ at Identità.

Officials at the government agency, formerly Identity Malta, met TCNs who entered through a secondary door after hours to get them the necessary documents for thousands of euro, issued on the back of marriage certificates and other documents fabricated by Identità officials since 2015.

The 60-page request for a magisterial inquiry filed by former MP and lawyer Jason Azzopardi provides details of the racket by “a criminal organisation” and the lack of police action despite information it received in November 2022.

The TCNs, mostly Egyptians and Libyans, were offered an ID card within 30 days. They were based on marriages, some in the UK (before Brexit), to women who never knew them. Their residence was listed at a Maltese address to which those involved had no connection.

Two TCNs who were prosecuted and jailed after being found in possession of fraudulent documents asked for whistleblower status to disclose the identity of the masterminds behind this racket. This was not accepted.

Yet the individuals have been identified, involving a woman at Identità living well beyond her means, and a man related to individuals facing criminal charges in relation to the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

In court proceedings involving those who fell for the scheme, paying anything between €2,000 and €8,000,  it was discovered that none of the relevant documents could be found at Identità. It is suspected that the officials involved had the documents destroyed.

In a twist to what is already a scandalous story, the request for a magisterial inquiry refers to a Colombian woman organising cocaine-fuelled parties attended by MPs from the two main political parties, doctors, lawyers and civil servants.

While some of these were allowed in for free, attending these parties would cost up to €5,000. The VIP guests mingled with South American prostitutes, with witnesses saying the Colombian host bragged about how easily she could obtain permits for her girls.

The inquiring magistrate was asked to investigate criminal association, the issuing of false documents, false declarations to public authorities, computer misuse, bribery and money laundering.

Reacting,  Identità said it was cooperating with investigating authorities. Yet the question remains: Why now? Azzopardi questioned why the police force had not requested a magisterial inquiry based on the information it possessed for the last two years.