Repubblika challenge to have Pilatus Bank officials charged rejected

Repubblika’s request that Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa be ordered to institute criminal action against top Pilatus Bank officials was rejected by a Court on Tuesday.

Civil society NGO Repubblika had initiated challenge proceedings in 2022, requesting the courts to order that Pilatus Bank officials be prosecuted by the Police Commissioner following the conclusion of a magisterial inquiry which found evidence of crimes including money laundering.

The challenge was rejected by the Court presided over by Magistrate Nadine Sant Lia inasmuch as it was held that not enough evidence for a prima facie case was put forward. The evidence was thus insufficient for such an order.

Former Repubblika president Robert Aquilina reacted to the decision in a Facebook post, in which he confirmed that an appeal would be made. He reacted to the Court’s conclusion that not enough evidence was submitted, stating that a whole magisterial inquiry ‘filled with evidence’ had been presented.

Aquilina added that Repubblika will keep fighting until the end even ‘if we knew from the start that the odds against us were great’.

Aquilina’s post was concluded by thanking lawyer Jason Azzopardi for the assistance provided to Repubblika throughout proceedings.