Magisterial inquiry to be launched into alleged fraud at Identità Malta

A magisterial inquiry will be launched into the alleged corruption at the heart of Malta’s national identity data regulator, Identità Malta, concerning accusations fronted by the former Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi, into fraudulently issued identity cards for foreign nationals.

The inquiry means that both a magisterial team as well as police investigators will be able to seize evidence linked to the establishment of facts in the allegations of the organised crime racket.

Azzopardi said on a Facebook livestream that a duty magistrate had accepted his request filed two weeks ago, to investigate what he listed as charges of alleged corruption, conspiracy, organised crime, falsification of documents and money laundering.

He has accused Identità Malta employees Bernard Attard and Maria Spiteri of being the kingpins in the fraud: Attard would collect payments of upwards of €2,000 from each foreign national, to produce a Maltese identity card within 30 days, based on falsified documents such as marriage or birth certificates; Spiteri was responsible for Identità Malta’s Brexit section.

Identità has denied the claims, which alleged that up to 18,000 fake ID cards could have been issued to foreigners against payments ranging from €2,000 to €5,000 for each document.

The accusations stem from claims first made by two foreign prisoners, who were given six-month jail sentences for possession of falsified documents. They have been denied whistleblower status despite being prepared to expose individuals behind the racket.

Identità has insisted that Compliance and Expatriates Units had conducted an investigation and passed on information and evidence about “some individuals” to the police so that they may investigate. No information on the evidence found was given. 

“This is a historic development,” Azzopardi said, who has spearheaded the campaign single-handedly. “From this point onwards, anybody who has received correspondence at his home with the name of a foreign national they do not know, can inform the inquiring magistrate to investigate. Tak action and do not fear. Castille’s mafia is scared of all of us.”