The EC investigates banks in small EU states but ignores money laundering activities by the big whales

Former Prime Minister and Maltese MEP Alfred Sant told France 24 that the European Commission felt it should investigate small banks operating in small EU states whilst closings its eyes on money laundering activities by the big whales in Europe. European Commissioner Vera Yourova never mentions big fish like Deutsche Bank, Germany’s largest bank, which last year was fined nearly €620 million for allowing money laundering, but then puts under the spotlight small banks from small EU member states like Malta.
“Doesn’t it sound curious that Yourova speaks about a small bank in a small country and does not speak about Deutsche Bank? Pilatus Bank was a small investment bank which was caught by US Sanctions. It was a small fish when compared to Danske Bank, the biggest bank in Denmark. The big fish, the big whales in Sweden, France and Germany have not been mentioned by Commissioner Yourova.” said Alfred Sant when asked by Catherine Nicholson whether he thinks Malta is being victimised being a small EU state on her TV Programme Talking Europe.
The Maltese MEP said that investment by citizenship schemes in Malta and Cyprus are legitimate and more transparent than those applied in countries like Austria, France and Germany.
“The granting of citizenship in these countries is done underhandedly with agreements with security services, the Ministry of Finance or the Presidents or Prime Ministers of these countries. This is definitely not a transparent way of granting citizenship,” remarked the Maltese MEP.

You may follow the full discussion programme on this link:

Maltese Version – IL-KUMMISSJONI EWROPEA TINVESTIGA L-BANEK IŻ-ŻGĦAR FL-ISTATI MEMBRI Ż-ŻGĦAR U TINJORA L-ĦUT IL-KBIR

Alfred Sant qal lil France 24 li l-Kummissjoni Ewropea ħasset li kellha tinvestiga l-banek iż-żgħar li joperaw fl-iċken stati membri tal-UE u tagħlaq għajnejha fuq l-attivitajiet ta’ ħasil ta’ flus tal-banek il-kbar Ewropej. Il-Kummissarju Vera Yourova qatt ma ssemmi banek kbar bħad-Deutsche Bank, l-ikbar bank Ġermaniż, li s-sena l-oħra ġie mmultat €620 miljun għax ippermetta l-ħasil ta’ flus, iżda mbagħad titfa’ taħt il-lenti lil banek żgħar tal-istati membri ż-żgħar bħal Malta.
“Ma tinstemax kurjuża li Yourova titkellem dwar bank żgħir f’pajjiż żgħir u ma titkellimx dwar Deutsche Bank? Pilatus Bank kien bank żgħir ta’ investiment li nqabad b’sanzjonijiet tal-Istati Uniti. Dan kien ħuta żgħira meta kkomparat ma’ Danske Bank, l-ikbar bank fid-Danimarka. Il-ħut il-kbir, Il-‘balieni’ fl-Isvezja, Franza u l-Ġermanja ma ssemmewx mill-Kummissarju Yourova.” qal Alfred Sant meta ġie mistoqsi minn Catherine Nicholson fuq il-programm televiżiv Talking Europe, jaħsibx li Malta qed tiġi vittimizzata għax hija stat żgħir.
Alfred Sant qal li l-investiment bl-iskemi taċ-ċittadinanza f’Malta u Ċipru huma leġittimi u aktar trasparenti minn dawk li għandhom pajjiżi kbar bħall-Awstrija, Franza u l-Ġermanja.
“L-għoti ta’ ċittadinanzi f’dawn il-pajjiżi l-kbar jsir minn taħt bi ftehimiet mas-servizzi tas-sigurta`, il-Ministeru tal-Finanzi jew il-Presidenti u l-Prim Ministri ta’ dawn il-pajjiżi. Dan il-metodu żgur mhux wieħed trasparenti għall-għoti ta’ ċittadinanzi,” qal l-MEP Malti.

Segwi l-programm ta’ diskussjoni fuq din il-link: