PN calls on Mifsud to suspend himself pending police investigation

The PN wants deputy Central Bank governor Alfred Mifsud to suspend himself pending a police investigation into the alleged bribes he would have received from Ronnie Demajo of the M Demajo Group for the supply of banking software to Mid Med Bank in the mid-1990s.

The allegations were made by Mifsud’s former partner and mother of two children, Anna Zelbst, who says she witnessed Demajo visiting their house and make three payments of Lm50,000 each to Mifsud.

She also says Mifsud gave her Lm10,000 for her to deposit and pay back to him by cheque.

Mifsud denies the allegations and accuses Zelbst of blackmailing him against the payment of a substantial financial settlement after their separation.

“These are serious allegations of corruption, fraud and money laundering,” PN deputy leader for party affairs Beppe Fenech Adami said.

“It was right that the police launched an investigation, but it should also carry out the same with respect to chief of staff Keith Schembri and minster Konrad Mizzi, who have also faced serious allegations of corruption and money laundering. What is keeping the police from investigating them?”

Schembri and Mizzi were found to have opened offshore companies in Panama while in office, and planning to generate up to €800,000 in banking deposits for a bank account in Panama.

Nationalist MP Kristy Debono added that finance minister Edward Scicluna had to defend the country’s reputation after the Mifsud allegations were brought to the attention of the European Central Bank. “The PN has filed a motion to bring the new governor to the scrutiny of a parliamentary committee. We expect the government to collaborate. If not, it would be ignoring consensual politics.”

Government says Central Bank should remain independent

In its reaction to the press conference, the government maintained that the Central Bank should remain independent and that the government did not wish to intrude into the running of the institution.

"There are clear rules and procedures involved in the running of the Central Bank and it is also under constant scrutiny from the European Central Bank," the statement reads, adding that the PN's attitude in the issue revealed inappropriate governance methods.