Egrant inquiry: Activists leave suitcases outside PM’s summer residence at Girgenti

Activist group Reżistenza deposited two suitcases outside the Girgenti Palace in remembrance of Pilatus Bank chairman Ali Sadr Hasheminejad’s exit from his bank at night in April last year carrying two bags

Reżistenza symbolically left the suitcases outside the Prime Minister's summer residence at Girgenti Palace
Reżistenza symbolically left the suitcases outside the Prime Minister's summer residence at Girgenti Palace

Two suitcases recalling the exit last year from Pilatus Bank of its chairman at night were left by anti-corruption activists outside the Prime Minister’s summer residence in Girgenti.

Activists from Reżistenza left the suitcases on the wall in a symbolic gesture, a day after Magistrate Aaron Bugeja passed on the Egrant inquiry to the Attorney General.

A note attached to the suitcases read: “Azeri Presidential Palace - The documents are in safe hands. We thought you would like to have the suitcases back.”

The action recalls the day in April last year when Daphne Caruana Galizia reported on her blog that the Panamanian company Egrant was owned by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s wife, Michelle.

Caruana Galizia had claimed that Egrant had an account with Pilatus Bank and that a whistleblower had seen signed documents with Michelle Muscat’s name on them. The whistleblower was later revealed to be Maria Efimova, a Russian national who worked for a few months with the bank in 2016 before being dismissed.

A screen grab from NET TV's footage from a year ago showing the Pilatus Bank chairman exiting the his bank at night with suitcases
A screen grab from NET TV's footage from a year ago showing the Pilatus Bank chairman exiting the his bank at night with suitcases

On the night the story broke, NET television had broadcast live footage of Pilatus Bank chairman Ali Sadr Hasheminejad exiting the Ta’ Xbiex premises carrying two suitcases.

The scene had prompted many to question whether Hasheminejad had removed important documents from the bank.

On the same night, the Prime Minister asked for an inquiry into the Egrant allegations. The Muscats have strenuously denied any wrongdoing and described the allegations as “the biggest political lie in the country's history”.