End in sight for Panama Papers inquiry appeals

A decision in the Panama Papers inquiry appeal case is finally in sight, after a judge ordered the parties to make their final submissions in writing within 4 days.

The appeals case was entrusted to Judget Giovanni Grixti after the retirment of judge Antonio Mizzi.

The case began last year after former leader of the Opposition, Simon Busuttil, had filed a request to Magistrate Ian Farrugia to open a magisterial inquiry into money laundering allegations involving the highest echelons of government as a result of the Panama Papers revelations.

Magistrate Farrugia had upheld the request but the men, which include Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, his chief of staff Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi, had filed appeals.

The appeals had been assigned to Judge Antonio Mizzi, leading Busuttil to request the recusal of the judge due to family ties to the governing Labour party. The request was turned down, but Judge Mizzi reached retirement age last month and the cases were then assigned to Judge Grixti.

Grixti was given the task of hearing the seven individual appeals, filed by Muscat, Schembri, Mizzi, businessmen Brian Tonna, Karl Cini, Malcolm Scerri and Adrian Hillman against Magistrate Ian Farrugia’s decision to launch an inquiry into money laundering allegations.

In a decree issued this morning, Grixti said he would be delivering his decision on the request from chambers, giving the parties four days to make written submissions.