‘Brotherhood of organised crime a common enemy for people of Malta and Montenegro’

Montenegro Independent MP Srđan Milić has said the Maltese and Montenegrin people have a common enemy, which he described as the “brotherhood of organised crime”.

Commenting during the programme Magħkom presented by Lea Hogg and aired on Net TV on Friday, Milic said Montenegro and Malta are both victims of a lack of transparency.

“There are so many doubts surrounding this corrupt deal, and all we want is the truth. This is a common problem for the two countries – the lack of honesty and transparency,” he said.

Milic was asked to comment on the agreement between Malta and Montenegro, sealed by disgraced Minister Konrad Mizzi.

The Shift has investigated the Mozura wind farm project, uncovering a series of offshore accounts surrounding those individuals involved in the agreement. It was also established that the contract, from the beginning, was tainted by allegations of corruption.

Investigations by Reuters, also published in The Times of Malta, revealed that millions were channelled through Dubai company 17 Black, owned by Yorgen Fenech who is believed to have masterminded the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

During the interview, Milic reviewed the beginning of Montenegro’s involvement with the wind farm, and reiterated his calls on the Montenegrin government to have the deal investigated by an independent parliamentary committee. He noted that parliamentary questions directed to the Prime Minister regarding the wind farm have remained unanswered.

He further said it was scandalous for Enemalta to make a false declaration on how much it invested in the wind farm, noting that this investigation has also developed into a case of tax evasion.

Investigations by The Shift had revealed how, on the acquisition of the Mozura wind farm, Enemalta may have made a false declaration to authorities in Montenegro, in breach of the law, and in doing so reducing their tax liability.

Enemalta told the authorities in Montenegro that it had paid €3.5 million in December 2015 to secure the acquisition of the Mozura wind farm. Yet the final price paid was €10.3 million.

In the Share Sale Agreement (SSA) dated 28 December 2015, the final sale price was listed as €3.5 million. This was not indicated as a down payment or deposit, but the agreed final price.

“Our duty is to say ‘stop’ and open all cases and all files related to this deal. There is a journalist who investigated this case and was murdered. We have to deliver to the people of Montenegro and Malta. We have to believe that the majority of the people in these two counties are good,” Milić said.

The European Commission has also said it wants the Mozura wind farm agreement investigated after the Montenegro parliament refused to discuss the motion presented by Milic, which could lead to those involved in Malta.

Konrad Mizzi, the former Minister who negotiated the deal, has since been expelled from the Labour Party parliamentary group, though he remains in parliament, serving as an ‘independent’ MP.