Malita Investments denies wrongdoing in Siggiewi ghost voters case

Malita Investments has asked the police to investigate claims the company’s CEO gave orders for voters’ addresses to be changed to that of an uninhabitable Siġġiewi housing block.

Malita, a government company, is the landlord of the social housing block that has been at the centre of controversy after prospective tenants had their ID cards transferred their despite not living there. The company is a special purpose vehicle that finances, builds and manages government estates.

In a court judgment delivered on Wednesday, Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech ordered that the voters’ official addresses be transferred back to their current place of residence and instructed the police to investigate the matter. The magistrate had conducted an onsite visit of the block to confirm for herself that no one was living there despite the changes to the ID cards.

In her judgment, the magistrate said voters were manipulated to have their ID cards transferred to the Siggiewi block. She also noted that officials from Identita, the government agency responsible for ID cards, had gone to the site under Malita CEO Jennifer Falzon’s orders to carry out the ID card changes.

In a statement, Malita Investments denied having committed any wrongdoing.

“The Company and its CEO unequivocally deny any allegations of wrongdoing. They assert that neither the Company nor its CEO has been involved in the process of changing identity card addresses. No instructions were ever given to Identita’ Agency officials on behalf of the Company,” the statement said.

“The only meetings organised by the Company were with prospective tenants entitled to housing units, specifically for the purpose of handing over the premises and completing the necessary forms for changes in water and electricity services.”

Malita Investments said that it is taking the allegations very seriously and referred the matter to the police requesting an immediate investigation.