ID cards system not in crisis, ministry insists

The justice ministry has dismissed reports alleging that Identity Malta is facing an internal crisis with the “collapse” of the Identity Cards system, belying reports by the Malta Independent on Sunday.

In a statement, the ministry “categorically denied” that the system was experiencing a crisis and also refuted reports that a committee had been appointed and that a report had been drawn up on the alleged crisis.

The ministry’s statement was issued following a report by the Malta Independent on Sunday which claimed that Identity Malta - the body set up by the government to hold all personal data, identity records, as well as information relating to the Individual Investor Programme that sells Maltese citizenship – was facing a collapse of the ID cards system and that an internal inquiry was launched.

According to the newspaper, an internal report showed that out of a sample of 300 people on the ID card registry, 80 were found to be holding more than one ID card, while five people were found to hold three ID cards under the same name with three different ID numbers.

“The current ID cards system, excluding some small improvements, was set up by the previous Nationalist administration. The only difference is that whereas people now have a valid ID card, the PN government had left people with an expired ID card for several years,” the ministry said.

On Sunday, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil accused the government of tampering with democracy after PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami claimed that there are people who are entitled to vote twice as they hold more than identity card.