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Prime Minister’s son terminates company role in Sib Limited
David Gonzi was company secretary of holding company whose subsidiary is suspected in Italy-Malta money laundering investigations.
2 May 2012, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
The son of Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has terminated his role as company secretary in a company suspected of having laundered €15 million in cash from the scandal-ridden Salvatore Maugeri foundation of Italy.
The foundation's troubles and its links to the equally beleaguered Catholic medical research foundation Mount Tabor in Italy have reached up to a Maltese firm, Sib Laboratories, whose holding company Sib Limited had David Gonzi as company secretary.
Gonzi denied being in any way knowledgeable of any illicit activity inside Sib, and branded as "false" the insinuations by Labour MP Evarist Bartolo that he was installed as secretary of Sib Limited in 2010 to facilitate the company's business.
Gonzi said he was appointed secretary of Sib Limited, the holding company of Sib Laboratories, and that he was not involved in any way with the operations of the commercial arm.
Gonzi said he was appointed by Peralta Custodian, which set up Sib Limited and its subsidiary, to be company secretary of various firms. "Sib Limited was one of these companies. I had no direct relations to Sib Limited and my services are only provided in the context of the arrangement I have with this legal firm."
Sib Limited was registered in 2008, while Gonzi superseded James Scerri Worley - who is company secretary of Sib Labs - as company secretary of Sib Limited in July 2011.
The University of Malta has also reiterated previous statements that it has severed any relations with SIB Laboratories and the Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri.
The University has denied that it entered into contracts with the foundation after 2010.
The agreements involved an annual prize of €500 awarded to a final year student project, and the €9,500 Salvatore Maugeri student research award.
"The University has no knowledge of any further funds emanating from the Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri or SIB Lab Ltd and has not received any funds beyond those mentioned above," a spokesperson for the university said.
"The University of Malta entered into these agreements in good faith and after conducting its own enquiries concerning the other parties involved, which did not reveal anything irregular. The University only learned of potential problems through the press and has since suspended its agreements with the two entities pending further investigations by the competent authorities."
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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Why do you turn these issues into a personal attack, just because this happens to be the son of the Prime Minister? Doesn't he have the right to work like anybody else? Or do some people still believe in the doctrine of poison? In a limited company it is the director or directors who are responsible for the management of the company. Dr Gonzi is not a director. He was the company secretary whose role has nothing to do with management of the company but is employed to see that the statutory obligations are performed. And usually the same lawyer is appointed secretary of many companies and not a single one. Stop throwing mud on innocent people!
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http://www.maltastar.com/dart/20120502-gonzi-sib-resignation-questions-unanswered
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On the basis of GONZIPN fundamental principle of transparency and accountability, will Dr. Gonzi Jnr state:
1. the total revenue gained from this position;
2. by whom he was appointed as company secretary
Luke Camilleri •
Spiccalu il-washing powder?
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Mur gibu kien xi tifel ta xi ministru laburist kemm kienu joqomsu il-brigada tal-puri Nazzjonlaista! Issa kollox hax hax; imnalla kienet-bhal dejjem- il-Malta Today; the other English media act as gate keepers for the PN!
