Jason Azzopardi accuses government agency of cover-up in ID fraud scandal

Jason Azzopardi, a lawyer and former Nationalist MP, has accused Identita of corruption, claiming the agency facilitated a widespread ID card fraud scheme involving the registration of 21 Indian nationals at a single address in Mġarr.

Azzopardi alleges that senior officials, including Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, sanctioned the scheme. He has expressed his frustration with Identita’s (formerly Identity Malta) response to the allegations, stating, “Buckle up, put on your boiler suits and safety boots. Because I’m going to steamroll over you, you bunch of corrupt individuals!”

He argues that the agency has not addressed key questions, such as who ordered the deletion of information from the servers or who received bribes to facilitate fraudulent registrations.

He added, “Identita did not address the specific accusations I made regarding concrete facts.”

Speaking to The Shift, Azzopardi said, “Identita’s statement almost amounts to blaming the Maltese for receiving letters at their addresses meant for foreigners, who were given these addresses by corrupt officials at the agency. They have no shame!”

He added, “Identita did not specify what actions were taken after Magistrate Kevin Azzopardi ordered a criminal investigation three weeks ago into two employees who were either lying or at least not agreeing on the truth. One said one thing, and the other said the opposite, prompting the magistrate to order an investigation. The police have said nothing, and Identita has said nothing.”

Azzopardi revealed that each individual paid €10,000, believing their documents were being processed legally.

He claimed that top officials, including Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà, were aware of the scheme and did nothing. He posted photos as evidence and challenged anyone who doubted his claims.

In response, Identita issued a statement on 7 August, saying property owners should report suspicious mail to the police and notify the agency’s Compliance Unit.

The agency attributed these issues to various factors, such as lessees failing to update their addresses or property owners neglecting to submit De-Registration Forms when tenants left.

Azzopardi criticised the agency’s response as evasive. He accused Identita of corruption and bribery, stating, “Why don’t you say who ordered the deletion of certain information from the servers in the last two months?”

He also alleged that bribes were exchanged to issue fraudulent ID cards and that a witness was instructed to give false testimony in court.

Nationalist MP Albert Buttigieg added to the controversy, revealing that he received mail addressed to unknown individuals at his property in Gżira.

Buttigieg suspects his address might have been used for issuing fake ID cards and has urged Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri to investigate.

He plans to report the matter to the police and questions whether these are the fake IDs Azzopardi has exposed.

ID card fraud has been a recurring issue for Identita. Earlier this year, two Indian nationals were charged with submitting forged lease documents to the agency but were acquitted when it was determined they were unaware of the falsifications.