TMID Editorial: The internal inquiry
The Nationalist Party has called on Identita to publish the internal inquiry it said it had conducted into the identity cards scandal.It is the latest scandal to hit Malta, and one that has serious repercussions. Lawyer Jason Azzopardi has alleged th
The Nationalist Party has called on Identita to publish the internal inquiry it said it had conducted into the identity cards scandal.
It is the latest scandal to hit Malta, and one that has serious repercussions. Lawyer Jason Azzopardi has alleged that up to 18,000 false ID cards were issued, that is no small number by any means. Identita denied the claims, but said that it was after an internal investigation by the Compliance and Expatriates Unit within the agency itself that it passed on information, with proof it found, regarding certain individuals to the police so that they may continue the investigations and take any necessary action prescribed by the law.
It is now up to the investigators, in this case an inquiring magistrate, to determine the whole truth.
The sheer size of the allegations is extremely concerning. If so many false ID cards were issued, God knows to whom they were given. It may not just be to regular foreign workers, but possibly to criminals who were trying to escape prosecution abroad also. It is terrifying to think of the implications this can have, especially given that one can travel to other EU countries using just an ID card.
The Nationalist Party's call for the internal inquiry to the published is one that should be taken up. One of course understands that a magisterial inquiry has been called, but perhaps a redacted version could be published just so that the public can get a sense of the kind of investigation Identita actually conducted and the safeguards in place.
Jason Azzopardi also published something else that is quite worrying this week. He said he is convinced that, not only were new identity cards issued to foreign residents on false certificates, but that existing ID cards of Maltese people were duplicated and given to foreign individuals. He wrote about a mother who had received a call from Mater Dei Hospital regarding four years of visits to hospital by her daughter, when her daughter had never actually been to hospital, to highlight his belief. If ID card numbers were truly duplicated, that makes the situation all the more serious.
Identity theft, in today's day and age, could have so many serious repercussions for the victims.
The outcome of this particular magisterial inquiry, which was made on the request by Jason Azzopardi, could have major repercussions.
The authorities must also look into the checks and balances within Identita, to ensure that the necessary safeguards are put in place to prevent the ability of issuing false identification documents. If shortcomings were found, then that also needs to be part of the investigation.
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