International arrest warrants issued for missing Egrant whistleblower

A European Arrest Warrant has been issued for Maria Efimova, the woman outed as the former Pilatus Bank employee who blew the whistle on the Egrant scandal. 

Efimova alleged that the secret Panama company Egrant was owned by prime minister Joseph Muscat's wife, Michelle. 

She is believed to have absconded from Malta, taking her family with her. 

The police have no information regarding her whereabouts.

This emerged in a sitting before magistrate Joseph Mifsud earlier today. The magistrate ordered Efimova to be placed on the wanted list last August, after she had repeatedly failed to turn up for court sittings.

The woman is subject to at least two ongoing criminal proceedings, being accused in one of defrauding Pilatus Bank and in another of having made false accusations against Superintendent Denis Theuma and inspectors Jonathan Ferris and Lara Butters.  

In July, the court fined Efimova €500 and ordered that she be brought before it under arrest, when she did not appear for a scheduled sitting.

Efimova was nowhere to be seen when her case was called today.

Police Inspector Jeffrey Scicluna told the court that a European Arrest Warrant as well as an International Arrest Warrant was issued against the woman since last August’s sitting.

The EAW would be transmitted to all member states via the Schengen Alert System, the court was told.

The case continues in March.