How citizen’s complaint rumbled Joe Sammut’s visa scam

A complaint by a frustrated Maltese citizen to the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) and Identity Malta led to the police investigation that ferreted out Joe Sammut’s visa scam.

Mosta auditor Sammut is facing charges relating to money laundering, fraud, misappropriation and forgery after three Libyan nationals admitted that Sammut helped them obtain a residency permit by creating companies with fake stocks.

The three men spilled the beans after they were promised immunity from criminal action.

It now transpires that it was actually a complaint by an individual at the end of his tether over receiving numerous letters at his address, that unwittingly sparked the whole investigation.

Informed sources told MaltaToday that the ETC had started noticing a number of irregularities in residence applications being submitted, including multiple applications holding the same street name, but with different locality names.

In February 2015, one Maltese man went to the ETC to reported receiving several letters from the ETC which were addressed to people with a Libyan name. Explaining that he was the only resident at that address, the man told the ETC that he was annoyed by the repeated letters.

After making the necessary verifications through their systems, the ETC and Identity Malta passed on the information to the police, which led to the discovery of Sammut’s fraudulent acts.

As investigations proceeded, it emerged that more Maltese citizens had their address used abusively. One woman, owner of a Sliema apartment, had at least 50 foreigners who submitted the apartment’s address as their official residence.

“I am the victim of this fraudulent activity. I was not aware that my address, or even my name, were being used illegally to provide an address to the authorities. I am a victim of this too,” the woman had told the Times of Malta.

Sammut, a former Labour Party treasurer and a close associate of the Gaddafi family for several years, is known for his close ties with the North African country. 

Sources said that when late last year the Maltese government was forced to withdraw diplomats from Libya, it became harder for Sammut to issue visas for his Libyan clients.

But while Sammut may have been facing some difficulties in obtaining the required visas, the Mosta auditor realised he could help his clients: in 2010, the ETC introduced various investment schemes for foreigners, one of which entitled a person investing €100,000 in an existing business or a start-up to be given a work permit. In 2011, these guidelines were updated to include conditions specific to self-employed applicants and company directors/shareholders.

By making use of this scheme, Sammut would provide his applicants with a single permit, allegedly by providing false information and fraudulent documents.