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50 companies linked to fraudulent Italian broker discovered in Malta
Over 40 boxes of vital information handed to Italian magistrates investigating alleged €200 million fraud involving Malta-based firm Portman International.
23 May 2012, 12:00am
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Karl Stagno-Navarra
2 min read
Gianfranco Lande, dubbed by the press as the Bernie Madoff of Romes wealthy Parioli district is facing charges connected to a 170 million crackdown that involves hundreds of investors.
The investigation into the alleged multi-million scam by businessman Gianfranco Lande - dubbed by the press as the 'Bernie Madoff' of Rome's wealthy district 'Parioli', led Magistrates to travel to Malta last week and officially acquire a confirmation on the presence of some 50 companies registered by Lande on the island over the past five years.
According to reports, over €200 million in investments by rich professionals and Italian aristocrats were allegedly siphoned off to the British Virgin Islands.
Portman International is a member of the Portman International Group, and is a recognised auditor in Malta and a practicing accountant in the UK & Ireland. PCL International Holdings Ltd is licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority to carry out Trust business.
In March 2011, Rome's attorney general arrested the broker Gianfranco Lande, accused of a €170 million crackdown that involves hundreds of investors.
The Guardia di Finanza discovered that tens of millions of euros paid to the Eurofighter consortium by the Austrian government went through the broker's companies.
In Austria, the state prosecutor and an ad hoc parliamentary committee have been looking for evidence that prove the existence of an illegal and secret network that allegedly handled huge amounts of money paid by the Austrian government in 2003 to buy 18 Typhoon fighter jets from the Eurofighter consortium.
Italian magistrates believe that the Malta-based companies created by Lande were used to channel the monies involved in the shady transaction over the Eurofighter acquisitions.
According to the Guardia di Finanza, one of the companies which allegedly held a 'commission' over the multi-million deal, named 'Centro Consult' was found to have an empty bank account.
The companies discovered in Malta were said to have been "unknown" to the investigators, and are working closely with Maltese and Austrian authorities in a bid to reconstruct the money trail.
Bank accounts in Malta belonging to the companies registered under Lande's name have all been found to be empty.
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Someone gave advance warning (re bank accounts). I maintain that the business of financial centres is precisely this. To give a semblance of legality to probable illicit deal/money making whilst hiding/laundering money illicitly obtained or not declared to tax authorities and concurrently throwing off trail legitimate creditors. That is why the US did not want to conclude a double taxation agreement, and why Germany and France are now striving to consolidate EU fiscal policies. Poveri noi, we would not be able to help these brigands any more.
