It is no surprise that Malta’s Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) uses taxpayers’ monies to promote itself and its officials. Without issuing any call for tenders, the top brass at FIAU selected friendly media houses to publish stories they deemed necessary. Such articles include tarnishing the reputation of companies and officials who FIAU fined. Maltese courts declared that such fines were illegal and contrary to the Constitution of Malta.
It is unknown whether the companies who sued FIAU will now seek damages from the FIAU officials personally.
Amongst the friendly selected media houses by FIAU, one finds MediaToday Co Ltd, a company managed by Saviour Balzan, who was accused in courts of constantly approaching top government officials asking for money in return for coverage on his company’s online portals. MediaToday is the operator of the online news portal MaltaToday, edited by Kurt Sansone as executive editor.
MediaToday also enjoyed direct orders from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). Fintelegram is publishing exclusive proof of this. The squandering of public funds is no news at Malta Gaming Authority.
Another media house, Content House Limited, owned by Jesmond Bonello and Isabel Depasquale, also enjoyed money from FIAU from 2020 to 2022. Corporate Identities, owned by Jesmond Saliba, was one of the recipients of FIAU’s paid promotion and marketing.
The FIAU has been hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons since the disgraced Alfred Zammit signed a letter exonerating Pilatus Bank from wrongdoing. Instead of being investigated and kicked out, Alfred Zammit was promoted to acting Head of FIAU.
