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Muscat: ‘Why did Gatt never declare Swiss bank account?’
Labour leader drives home message that Gatt's Swiss bank account was never declared in his parliamentary declaration of assets.
15 February 2013, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
An admission by transport minister Austin Gatt that he had a Swiss bank account was pounced upon by Labour media and Opposition leader Joseph Muscat, if for the coincidence that both George Farrugia, the Trafigura agent, and former MOBC chief Frank Sammut, had Swiss bank accounts - and in the case of Sammut, for allegedly recieving kickbacks on the procurement of oil to Enemalta.
READ MORE 'Replicated' email press conference
"Many contradictions have emerged on this case," Labour leader Joseph Muscat said yesterday evening. "Gatt's admission that he did not declare the Swiss bank account in his parliamentary declarations all these years while he's been a Cabinet minister, is a case in point."
Gatt admitted during a press conference yesterday that his father opened a bank account in Switzerland in 1973, which was subsequently inherited by his mother and then him: he claims the money was intended as a fund for his children.
"No politician, in any country, has a Swiss bank account which he doesn't declare in the parliamentary registry of assets," Muscat said.
"The minister's credibilty has been undermined by emails [of George Farrugia] in which the company that sells oil asks its agent about how his meeting with the minister went. It's now the prime minster's responsiblity - who has accepted Gatt's version of events - to see whether he shoulders the contradictions that have emerged in Gatt's statement."
Austin Gatt had previously denied meeting Trafigura and Total agent George Farrugia except during consituency rounds, but emails published by the Sunday Times later showed Farrugia was keeping Total and Trafigura reps in the know about his meetings with Gatt. Gatt has categorically denied discussing oil tenders with Farrugia.
"Why was Trafigura asking Farrugia about his meetings with the minister?" Muscat asked.
The Labour leader also pointed out that Gatt's press conference, called to announce he was reporting the Labour Party to the police for allegedly manipulating one of the Farrugia emails and then posting it on Facebook, had fallen flat after a newspaper explained the confusion of a replica email.
"Gonzi must take responsibility for Gatt's statements," Muscat said.
The Labour leader also turned to government's proposal for a floating gas terminal and pipeline, estimated at €290 million, claiming however that the project would cost €770 million, citing from the national energy policy.
"It looks like the floating LNG terminal has been abandoned, becaus the PN is only talking about the pipeline after managing to get only 10% of EU funds for this project. So this means they need €700 million for this project to happen. The only concrete and feasible project is Labour's," Muscat said of his party's proposal for a 200MW gas power station and terminal.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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I wonder if he needed/heeded a Tonju amnesty to bring it into the mainstream. Perhaps the CIR would oblige, for the benefit of those curious amongst us.
Luke Camilleri •
Mhux b'xejn ihossu "SEREN", AUST, bil kontijiet fil Bank Svizzeru..... ara ahna inhossuna "INKAZZATI" bil-kontijiet tal-ARMS Ltd. bis-surcharge biex jithallsu il-commissions multi-miljunarji!
Kullhadd b'xortih!
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This is very serious. Did Minister Austin Gatt declare this Swiss account in his tax returns? If he did not it is a case of Tax evasion pure and simple and Minister Gatt must clarify immediately.
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This is very serious. Did Minister Austin Gatt declare this Swiss account in his tax returns? If he did not it is a case of Tax evasion pure and simple and Minister Gatt must clarify immediately.
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Ergajt iccensurajtli l kumment tieghi sur Vella.....mela Ma daqx ghal widnejk?
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"Gatt admitted during a press conference yesterday that his father opened a bank account in Switzerland in 1973, which was subsequently inherited by his mother and then him: he claims the money was intended as a fund for his children." Nothing wrong about that. In my case my father bought a piece of property (house)in B'Kara in the mid sixties. The government at that time (MLP) requisitioned (Confiscated) this property in 1974 and allowed one of their constituents to squat in that same property after my brother moved out. This squatter is still living there up to this day because the archaic Maltese laws dictate that I cannot evict this squatter until two generations die or fade away. Of course we pay the taxes as demanded by the government. My question is. My father bought this property and then left it to my mother after his death. When my mother passed away she left the property to us siblings as inheritance but like I said even after almost 40 years we still cannot enjoy our father's investment. Is that fair? Of course not but this is Malta after all politics only seem to work for the few. All we want is what is ours like Dr Gatt wants for him and his children children.
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Is kemm qeghda tajba din. Dan suppost iddikkjara dan il-kont fid-dikjarazzjoni tal-assi lill-parlament. Hu qal li dan ghamlu sas-sena 2005 u fis-snin ta` wara nesa. Jien nistaqsi jekk nesiex ukoll jiddikjara l-kont fid-dikjarazzjoni tat-taxxa. Jien naf persuna li wehlet multa ghax ma ddikjaratx l-interessi ta'kont b'ammont zghir ta' flus. Hbieb tieghi, kieku konna int jew jiena konnu nehlu l-multa. Issa nispera li l-parlament u d-Dipartiment tat-Taxxi Nterni jiccaqalqu, ghax il-Ligi suppost qeghda hemm ghal kulhadd ghidilhom lill-Gonzi, Simon Busuttil u beppe Fenech Adami, l-paladini tas-sewwa.
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It would be nice to know also what other ministers have Swiss bank accounts they have not declared. Hope if JM gets into power he will have this investigated,
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Actually what the people want to know is how many swiss accounts has Austin Gatt. Just like in accounts one can have double books so also with bank accounts. @ zoltan good observations
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Are we Maltese citizens still going to accept such behaviour from our politicians? Is this going to remain for the next 100 years?!! Hope not!
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More important still, is whether Austin Gatt had declared this Swiss Bank account to the Inland Revenue Department. And any income derived from it. If he hasn't, what will the Commissioner of Inland Revenue be doing about this ?
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Have these bank accounts been declared for Income Tax purposes? And who is the dragon who received the diamond mentioned in the e-mails?
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Why did Dr. Gatt's father open a Swiss Bank Account in 1973. Guess it was out of prejudice at Mintoff's Government. What money was put in Switzerland? Did it leave Malta through the annual foreign investment allotments and declared to the Exchange Control at the Central Bank of Malta? In any case the PN has been in almost continuous Government for the last quarter century why didn't Dr. Gatt's family repatriate its money? What was the family afraid of? Has the income from this account been declared to the Inland Revenue?
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One can never inherit a bank account from his parents or anyone else for that matter (in the civilized world). If this swiss accounts is still operational it means only one thing, that Dr. Gatt and his family never informed the bank that both his parents were deceased.
Yesterday I heared him saying that this swiss account is on his name. Police commissioner take note.
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Another important question to ask Gatt is why he kept his Swiss bank account after we joined the euro in 2008 and after so many fund repatriation schemes launched by his colleague Tonio Fenech? Doesn't he have any faith in the euro or the European banking system? Doesn't he trust Mr. Fenech or the PN's fiscal policies?
