Pilatus Bank owner Seyed Ali Sadr Hasheminejad, who currently faces a possible 125 years imprisonment on charges against him in the United States, had registered a company in Malta for "social and mass housing projects", Nationalist Party (PN) MP Karol Aquilina said in Parliament.
He said that all could be verified through documentation, which he presented in Parliament, while describing how the name of the company is Malta International Construction Ltd.
Aquilina reminded the House of Ali Sadr's vast wealth and connections, highlighting two particular companies which belong to him and his family called Stratus International and Iranian International Housing Corporation.
Through documents it has emerged, Aquilina said, that the Iranian banker set up the construction company in Malta back in January 2014 – around the time when Pilatus Bank was granted its licence. The company was set up as a subsidiary of Pilatus Bank, Aquilina said.
He posed a number of questions about the registered scope of the company, to build mass social housing projects, when in Malta the only entity to build social housing is the government.
On 1 May, Prime Minster Joseph Muscat announced a new housing project which would see some 500 units be built, with €50 million to be provided from proceeds of the controversial IIP scheme.
This brings the social housing budget for 2018 up to €110 million, with Malta Developers Association president Sandro Chetcuti telling this newsroom that the private sector could build the same units for millions less.
Aquilina posed a number of questions which he said absolutely necessitated answers:
"What accounts did Malta International Construction Ltd have with Pilatus? Did they have any other accounts with any other banks? What money was transferred by Pilatus in the name of this company?
"Was this company used to circumvent US sanctions with the Venezuela housing project?
"Are the FIAU and MFSA are aware of this company?"
Lastly, he questioned whether the government social housing project would be turning to Ali Sadr's company to build the "famous 50 million social housing project?".
He concluded by reminding the house that Ali Sadr is a special friend of Muscat and his chief of staff Keith Schembri, especially highlighted by the news that the local politicians had gone to the Iranian banker's wedding.
from The Malta Independent https://ift.tt/2JmtZ48
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