Cash for passports regulator fails to publish annual report

The regulator of the cash-for-passports scheme has failed to publish his annual report, as the 81-year-old who has held the position since 2016.was given another three-year term despite his age.

According to the Maltese Citizenship Act, the Office of the Regulator must prepare an annual report on how the government administers the cash-for-passport scheme. The last report published was in 2023 and refers to data for 2021.

Asked to explain why the 2024 report has not been published, De Gabriele suggested the publication of the report was his prerogative. In reality, that report is the only task of his publicly-funded office, and its publication is required by law.

“Publication as such of this report is not required by Article 25 (the law),” Degabriele said.  “However, up till now, it has been customary for this Office to officially publish the report as soon as this Office is informed by the Clerk of the House of Representatives that the report has been officially tabled by the minister,” he added.

De Gabriele did not reply to questions about whether he had compiled the report and why the minister had not presented it in parliament.

According to law, the prime minister is bound to call a meeting of the regulator’s monitoring committee at least once a year to discuss its report.

The last meeting was held in March 2023. Since then, the committee, which also includes the Home Affairs Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, has not met.

The cash-for-passports scheme was introduced by Abela’s predecessor, disgraced former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, in 2014, just a few months after Labour was returned to power.

In exchange for a €650,000 payment and property investment, non-EU citizens can acquire Maltese citizenship and full rights as EU citizens.

This scheme attracted thousands of wealthy people, many with shady pasts, who wanted to obtain freedom of movement in the EU.

After years of threats, the European Commission started legal procedures against this scheme after its directions to stop it were ignored. Other countries, including Portugal and Cyprus, which had introduced similar schemes selling their citizenship, stopped it.