My friend writes to Henley asking how he can buy a Maltese passport, and Henley replies immediately with details (published here)
This is what Henley will be paid by those who buy Maltese passports. Over and above this, Henley will get a big cut in commission from the Maltese government
A member of my international worldwide network of spies, who lives on another continent, was kind enough to take the trouble of writing to Henley & Partners asking them how he can buy a Maltese passport.
Then he sent their reply on to me for publication on this website (it is below), proving that even before the law has been passed by our supposedly sovereign parliament, Henley & Partners are already selling passports for the government.
Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando Smith must be really cross that he doesn’t have a seat in the House any longer and so can’t call for the impeachment of Manuel Mallia for going behind parliament’s back.
One of the best bits about Henley & Partners’ reply to my trans-Atlantic friend is that they gave him a full breakdown of their fees for every passport sale. This is the fee which those who buy passports must pay to Henley & Partners. Over and above that, they get a cut from the government.
Another good bit is where they tell him that Malta is the only European country selling citizenship, and though Austria has a programme by which you can eventually obtain citizenship, it’s not worth the hassle because you have to invest so heavily in the country and create jobs and it takes ages, while Malta is cheap, you don’t have to invest, and it can get done quickly.
Henley also sent him this PDF: Malta Individual Investor Program 1310 copy
You have all the contact details you need at the end of this email. I suggest you all create Russian, Azeri and Chinese names and matching gmail addresses and shell-bomb Henley with requests for Maltese passports. If you really want to get them excited, create names that include Gaddafi or Abinine Ben Ali.
That’s the way you have to deal with these scamming crooks, who are treating us Maltese in the same way they might have treated a tribe of jungle natives 200 years ago: profiteering off us because they think we Maltese are all as stupid, greedy, backward and corrupt as our tribal leaders.
I’d like to see them putting up travelling sideshows selling British or Canadian passports – but it’s not going to happen, is it, because we’re the remote island natives who’ve been gulled into selling our land for beads and a couple of bolts of cloth.
———–
HENLEY & PARTNERS EMAIL TO MY FRIEND, TELLING HIM HOW TO BUY A MALTESE PASSPORT, AND WHAT HE MUST PAY HENLEY IN TERMS OF ‘FEES’
Thank you for your inquiry on Malta Individual Investor Program. We would be delighted to assist you in your new Residency / Citizenship venture.
Henley & Partners is recognized as the world’s leading expert in private client residence and citizenship planning, and specifically in providing advice on comparative citizenship law and the acquisition of alternative citizenship.
For more than 15 years individuals as well as other consulting and law firms worldwide rely on us for specialized advice and assistance in this delicate area where our expertise and experience are second to none. Austria, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Antigua & Barbuda, St. Kitts & Nevis and now the Republic of Malta are the only countries, which currently offer legal citizenship-by-investment programs.
Malta Individual Investor Program
After winning a public tender, Henley & Partners has been awarded a Public Services Concession and signed a contract with the Government of Malta with regard to the design, implementation and international promotion of a new Citizenship-by-Investment Program.
This Program will be called the Malta Individual Investor Program (IIP) and will be run exclusively by Henley & Partners as Concessionaire under this Public Services Concession. We have immediately started all necessary preparation work so that the program is operational for initial pilot cases in November 2013.
The Malta IIP will have will have a number of key benefits:
• Citizenship in a EU Member State that is stable, neutral and highly respected
• Reasonable contribution and efficient application process of less than three months
• World’s strictest due diligence standards and vetting of applicants, thus ensuring only highly respectable clients will be admitted
• Visa-free travel to more than 160 countries in the world, including the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
• EU citizenship gives right of establishment in all 27 EU countries
Please find our brochure attached for your perusal.
Moreover, the program will be very reasonably priced. The Government of Malta has just accepted our proposal that the non-refundable contribution option, which is the only option that will be available initially, will have the following required amounts:
• Contribution to National Development Fund: EUR 650,000 for main applicant
• Contribution for spouse and minor children: EUR 25,000 each
• Contribution for dependent children 18 to 25 years or dependent parents above 55 years: EUR 50,000 each
• Due Diligence fees for main applicant: EUR 7,500; for spouses, adult children and parents: EUR 5,000; for children: EUR 3,000 each
The professional services fee that will be charged by H&P to process a client’s application will be:
Client Fees
Principal Applicant € 70,000
Additional Spouse + €15,000
Per additional Dependent
Aged 0-17 + €10,000
Aged 18+ + €15,000
Immediate Family Member is defined as a mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother, sister, step-brother, step sister, grand-mother, grand father of the Principal Applicant in the referenced application.
An alternative citizenship and passport is a powerful tool for international tax planning, it gives you extra privacy in banking and investment, and most importantly perhaps, citizenship and a passport from a small, peaceful country can save your life when travelling and in times of political unrest, civil war, terrorism, and other delicate situations. For good reasons, many international business people and important persons who are active worldwide consider an alternative passport the best life insurance money can buy.
Please note that there are no other legal and properly established European based citizenship-by-investment programs beside this one and Austria, where it is also possible to acquire citizenship without prior residence if you invest substantially in the country.
Please note however that under the relevant provisions in the Austrian law, an applicant is required to actively invest in the Austrian economy, for example in the form of a joint venture or a direct investment in a business creating jobs or generating new export sales. Generally a minimum investment of at least EUR 8 million or a non-refundable public contribution of at least EUR 2 million is expected. Passive investments in government bonds, listed shares, real estate, etc. do not qualify. Costs and fees of EUR 600,000 or more apply, depending on the case and the number of persons in an application, as each case is handled on an individual basis.
It is easy to understand that MALTA is of course the very best option, considering the lower overall cost and Investment coupled with the much faster and straightforward application process of Malta, yet, both carry similar benefits as they give you full citizenship and a passport from a neutral EU-country with an excellent reputation without prior residence requirements.
In many countries however it is still possible to obtain legal residence and later apply for citizenship and a passport. Some of the most interesting countries for residence include Belgium, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Monaco and Portugal to name a few . Please visit our internet site (http://www.henleyglobal.com) for further information in this regard or ask us for specific advice.
The acquisition of alternative citizenship or a change of residence involves sensitive issues which have to be carefully considered together with a specialized advisor. I suggest that we connect via Skype or telephone call to discuss your specific situation and needs, thus, please call us or send us a reply by e-mail with further details/availabilities.
Like our clients, we place particular emphasis on a practical approach and impeccable quality.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon, please accept my kindest regards.
Tolga Habali
Regional Director
Henley & Partners Canada Ltd.
HSBC Building
885 West Georgia Street.,
Suite 1030
Vancouver, BC, V6C 3E8
Canada
Tel: +1 604 689 8871
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.henleyglobal.com
Become a Global Citizen : https://www.henleyglobal.com/about-hampp/understand-what-we-do/
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The video in this report is a must-see:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131102/local/pn-insists-future-government-has-right-to-withdraw-citizenship-sold-under-new-scheme.492986#.UnWeNVMueV4
Zammit Lewis is lying on at least two counts. He claims that there are many European countries who are our direct competitors for the sale of citizenship and he says that Henley will get only €26,000.
“World’s strictest due diligence standards and vetting of applicants, thus ensuring only highly respectable clients will be admitted”
Who the hell do these people think they are fooling? Bastards!
“An alternative citizenship and passport is a powerful tool for international tax planning, it gives you extra privacy in banking and investment, and most importantly perhaps, citizenship and a passport from a small, peaceful country can save your life when travelling and in times of political unrest, civil war, terrorism, and other delicate situations.”
Emphasis on the “other delicate situations”.
I note that Henley & Partners are neglecting to inform their prospective clients that purchased citizenship will only last as long as Labour is in power.
Good. That means that those once the passport of those clients is withdrawn, they can sue Henley & Partners for a refund on the grounds that H&P failed to disclose a material fact.
They’re actually touting it as a tool for tax evasion. And blatantly pointing out how “cheap” a Maltese passport is compared to an Austrian one. Cheapskates and scumbags, the lot of them.
I clicked on that video link and it sounded like somebody preaching to toddlers.
In any sane country, this email would be splashed all over the newspapers’ front pages. A public uproar would ensue.
What happens in Malta? Most people show absolutely no interest, as long as Joey is PM, all is well.
Minister Mallia accuses the Opposition of being “geliss” and of speculating about this venture’s impact on the next election, sane people with an interest have a kind of “ethical amnesia” and try to grab a piece of the cake, and the rest…are following this website and feeling painfully helpless.
Sister/ brother/ step-sister etc etc. Are these included too?!
Do you know what? I will make up an Azeri gmail address and ask for more specifics.
I’m going to ask when I can buy my citizenships (I hope they haven’t started selling them already), if I can make a passport for my poor aunt who’s like a grandmother to me, and whether I can arrange all this without ever stepping a foot in the country because I’m a very busy man.
I’ll forward you any reply I receive. If you or your readers think of any other questions to ask, let me know.
Henley & Partners started selling Maltese passports under a “pilot scheme” from 1 November.
I think they should call that a “pirate scheme.”
They forgot to include Cyprus (who started their scheme back in May) in their list of countries.Though there you need to have residence first by all accounts. Something which Joseph left out in his little plan.
Interesting that he wanted to model Malta on Cyprus and in a way he has. They over-leveraged their economy (and went bust) to appeal to dodgy Russian money and he’ll be selling passports to Russians with dodgy money. I guess he didn’t want to feel left out.
http://www.investcyprus.org.cy/citizenship-by-investing/
Mela sewwa lil xi Afrikan naraw kif ser nibghatuh lura lejn pajjizu ghax dak fqir u lil min ghandu l-flus (anke jekk min jaf min fejn gab il-flus) dak naghtuh il-passaport.
How about we flood the prime minister’s e-mail with questions on this shady issue. Mhux gvern li jisma suppost?
Maybe Saviour Balzan can give us some Hard Talk about this.
From the video it turns out that the PL knows all about the process of vetting people… but not Shiv Nair.
PN government: promoting Malta as a safe place to travel, promoting the best of Malta’s culture, heritage, beaches, food, climate etc.
PL government: promoting Malta as a gateway to go to USA & EU, promoting Malta as the place to hide your investment. Promoting all the thing you couldn’t do legally in your country.
“Costs and fees of EUR 600,000 or more apply, depending on the case and the number of persons in an application, as each case is handled on an individual basis.”
Isn’t the due diligence in our case going to be handled on an individual basis? Jew hergin bhal pastizzi bit-tuzzani.
There is also an answer to those who compared us with Austria.
“Passive investments in government bonds, listed shares, real estate, etc. do not qualify.”
The Austrians aren’t selling their soul.
Your friend should ask Henley whether this scheme will provide permanent citizenship or whether this citizenship can be revoked.
I have, out of curiosity, had a look at the European Convention on Nationality, which came into force in March 2000 but which has not yet been ratified by Malta.
It is clear from this convention – itself an international instrument – that although every state is free to determine how and under what circumstances one acquires its nationality/citizenship, the underlying principle of any nationality is a genuine link between the individual and that country.
Can it be said that such a link is created by the fact that one is wealthy enough to be able to afford to pay X amount of euros?
It would seem that not even traditional investment in a country (by an individual or group of individuals/investors) has ever been considered as a sufficient genuine link (at least not in customary international law) for the purposes of nationality.
In 2003, Section 65(1) of the Constitution of Malta was amended so as to restrict the powers of Parliament to make laws. Whereas formerly Parliament could make laws for “ the peace, order and good government” of the country, with the 2003 amendment such laws must now also conform to, and be in line with, “full respect for human rights, generally accepted principles of international law and Malta’s international and regional obligations in particular those assumed by the treaty of accession to the European Union signed in Athens on the 16th April, 2003.”
Question 1: is the proposed legislation, based on the purchasing power of money and therefore on wealth/status, discriminatory “either of itself or in its effect” (Section 45(1) of the Constitution)?
Question 2: assuming that such a law cannot be challenged in terms of Section 45 of the Constitution because “status” is not one of the recognized grounds of discrimination in this provision (unlike in Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights), could such a law be challenged by any person (under Section 116 of the Constitution) because it is not in conformity with customary international law?
I would be grateful if some expert could elaborate.
Would it be possible for individual member countries of the EU, for their own sovereign reasons, to refuse to recognize any newly granted Maltese citizenship acquired through this scheme? I think it would be entirely within their rights not to have imposed upon them any undesirables that were allowed Maltese citizenship via this IIP.
The opposition ought to ask for the copy of the ‘Public Services Concession and the contract with the Government of Malta ‘ mentioned here.
Having a 9-seat majority does not preclude accountability to parliament and the electorate.
It feels as if we live in two different countries, in parallel to each other, divided by an election every 5 years.
They have already done that, and the government published just a part of the contract. The PN is insisting on the publication of the whole thing.
Immediate family members includes mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister, grandmother, grandfather. Who else? They forgot to include passports for the dogs.
This post, at least, exposes three facts
1. The deceitful nature of Muscat and his troupe of all sorts
2. The PL still behaves like it did three decades ago, unaware that the sources of information have grown exponentially since the time they prohibited computers
3. Related to the above, this blog shames the large majority of the so called Maltese journalists.
I am glad to see the PN stating they will revoke citizenship when in power. Mallia has stated in the Times that the PN has no support in this stance.
Surely it is time for the Maltese (regardless of being PN or PL) to have their say by demonstrating on Parliament to show that Maltese citizens DO NOT agree with pimping out the country.
Excellent. Thank you. Their own marketing bumph dispels the myth that other EU countries are offering citizenship on the same parameters. Hoist by their own petard. Literally.
As for their fees, they can do this thanks to the Government’s unwise decision to grant them a monopoly. What greedy parasites. Unless there is corruption involved, the PM and Minsters involved are utter morons.
Manuel, we are not idiots. You do not know who the due diligence companies are as these are not chosen by you but by Henley & Partners. This is in itself the first flaw in your ‘serious scrutiny’ claim.
If Henley is charging 70,000 euros for every applicant, plus other sums for additional passports, that amount is coming off the price paid to the country. So Henley stands to make for itself and “affiliates” some 5 million in the first batch of sales.
Excellent investigative work. Well done. Minister Mallia keeps quoting the AG as did Joseph Muscat re Dalli. We want to hear the advice from AG himself. This is all “detto del detto”, Mallia.
Ms Caruana Galizia, allow me to say that you are by far worthier than all the the journalist wannabees we have ever had in Malta.
Amongst other things, could this have been done to get all of Mrs. Konrad Mizzi’s family here?
Ma naghmlux mod l-obbligi lejn din l-kumpanija u lejn l-kumpanija li xtrat l-power station huma obbligi li ghandu l-PL peress li hallsulu l-kampanja electorali.
L-flus gew min ximkien hux.
‘Immediate Family Member is defined as a mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother, sister, step-brother, step sister, grand-mother, grand father of the Principal Applicant in the referenced application.’
Bring the whole family to Malta cheap! What a disaster and shame on those who conceived the scheme – all for money, and relatively little of it at that, which in this case WILL be the root of all our evil.
I will certainly support repealing this at the first opportunity.
And Henley & Partners probably use a billing jurisdiction outside the European Union, so that they don’t have to VAT-register their invoices on client fees for Maltese passports and pay VAT to the government of Malta.
No mention that the citizenship could be cancelled, only that the fee is non refundable
They make no mention of the fact that the citizenship could be cancelled, only that the fee is non refundable.
What an insult to all Maltese
With ministers like that, who can blame Henley for thinking we’re all muppets? We did elect them after all.
“I ordered tea, sandwiches and a Maltese passport up to our room.”
If the applicant has more than one wife, do they qualify for citizenship at the price of € 25,000 each? I suppose children born subsequent to approval of the application have a right to citizenship too.
Someone save us from this mess.
I am a Maltese citizen by birth. For the past 10 years I have travelled regularly to Romania.
Since Romania joined the EU I have been saved the previous hassle of having my Maltese passport suspiciously checked by immigration officers.
As I have a rather foreign sounding name, will I again be subjected to the same scrutiny as the non-European-but-Maltese-passport-bearing individuals entering Romania?
Will the Government of Malta recompense me for the inconvenience?
‘International tax planning’, ‘can save your life when travelling’, ‘other delicate situations’.
In other words, as soon as it gets hot, just use your Maltese passport to avoid taxes, avoid arrest and even change identity.
And they’ll have us believe any due diligence will be carried out.
But it’s official, according to Mallia ‘mhux f’l-interess nazzjonali li certi dettalji tal-kuntratt ikunu pubblikati’. So there.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-11-03/news/malta-opts-out-of-european-public-prosecutors-office-initiative-3076030464/
Surprise surprise. Fascinating how Muscat listens to those who weren’t elected.
What a waste of parliamentary majority, the irony in having all those seats and led by the ‘nationalist’ they loved to hate.
A most important item that is missing from this Henley promotional brochure prematurely advertising the rapid supply of a humiliatingly cheap Malta passport that does not require any residence or investment qualifications is that a future Nationalist Party government is binding itself to take counter-measures to neutralise the abuse.
That is what Henley and Partners are concealing from their clients.
Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!
Not quite. It IS a Labour government, after all.
The price quoted for due diligence is EUR7,500, which means you won’t get much.
That will buy you around five days of a very junior member of staff.
Will all this secrecy of who the applicants are jeopardize our treaty with the USA to travel without a visa? And since Emperor Mallia has sole discretion, will this continue to grow his home investment fund (€500,000 and growing)?
Excellent investigative work.
Now in view of the Nationalist Party’s pledge to revoke these passports, perhaps Henley & Partners should add a ‘caveat emptor’ line.
Where is Franco Debono?
He’s checking the meaning of “oligarchy.”
Why isn’t our government acting fast when it comes to chicken citizenship? We’re losing out on these highly talented chickens to Britain.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2485553/How-Polish-chicken-sold-British–month-UK.html
Ghandhom due diligence Vera tajba biex qabdu u baghtu l-informazzjoni mil-ewwel minghajr ma ccekjaw fuq il-persuna li qed titlob l-informazzjoni.
Two points about Manuel Mallia in this video:
a. Re the due diligence, he said “se jqaxxruk”. If this due diligence will be similar to the one concerning Shiv Nair, it will leave much to be desired. Joseph Muscat (and I imagine also his Goverment) were not aware that Shiv Nair was blacklisted by the World Bank, even though the information is on the World Bank website.
b. Manwel Mallia insists that the commission being paid to Henley & Partners will be €26,000. The Client fees advised in the above correspondence from Henley give him the lie.
[Daphne – Client fees are not commission. Mallia was speaking of commission which the government will pay to Henley. The figures given in this letter are the fees which clients will pay to Henley. One is a fee, the other a commission.]
They get both the fee and commission. Henleys stand to make more than Eur100,000 per client. Silly money.
No wonder they are trying to push it hard nd fast. They probably cant believe their luck that they found a Govt willing to accept their ludricous terms and want to secure as much as possible for s long as it lasts.
This was the best way of going around this argument. Congratulations for your clear investigation, this will cut most speculation.
Daphne, you are simply the best! The only journalist on the island with b****.
Didn’t the Minister say that Henley & Partners’ commission is 4% of the passport value, which is Euro 26,000? He even published an ‘extract’ from the contract with Henley & Partners.
It now turns out that the applicant has to pay a fee of Euro 70,000 directly to Henley, and more over and above that for dependents.
More lies and obfuscation.
The government must publish the whole contract now.
The 4% commission is paid by the Malta government to Henley. It is the applicant who pays Henley EUR70,000.
Ma tantx hi ahbar tajba ghall-komunita Libjana f’Malta, il-hbieb ta’ Joey, li jsibu ma’ wicchom xi Gaddafi cittadin Malti.
X’mistħija. Possibbli Peppi Azzopardi, Andrew Azzopardi, Emy Bezzina, tas-C.N.I. George Abela u l-ġurnalisti m’għandhom xejn x’jgħidu. Ara f’min fdaw lil Malta tagħna.
IIP ma kienetx tahdem ma’ where’s everybody? u allura jista’ jaghmel programm ghax m’ghandux kunflitt ta’ interess.
Peppi wahdu qed jehodha r-risposta ghax naf hafna mhux isegwu l-programm.
I cannot stand this happening to my country. I am disgusted.
Wait for it now. They will not accept e-mails any more – once you have published this on your web-site.
Of course they won’t. It was not very professional of them to reply with so much detail in answer to a first enquiry and without knowing anything about the sender.
Well, as long as we are going to have the most strict and professional due diligence of the whole world.
Maltese passports readily available for a much lower fee here on Gozo – of course.
In other words: Malta, the crack-whore of Europe.
Hmmm. So, I hold both Maltese and another EU country’s citizenship. So as a dual nationality-holding EU citizen, can I sell my Maltese citizenship on to “Dimitri Ukrainski” for a cut-price 500,000 euros and retire early? What fun.
If I include my wife and children’s citizenships I could become a millionaire overnight!
I could even flog off the Maltese citizenship and STILL get into the United States without a VISA. Best of all, thanks to the NSA and GCHQ, they’ll know I’m coming in advance!
Wait. It refers to ‘ADDITIONAL spouse’. That probably means that the first spouse is included with the original applicant.
Next up: the waiver of the necessity of Maltese for such people should they apply for a university course here.
Once again, prosit Daphne.
Does Peppi Azzopardi have a conflict of interest on this subject as well?
Yes, because he has a Maltese passport.
What stupid excuse was that about Norman Vella having been a member of Xarabank?
So does this mean that for example trade unions do not defend their members against abusive practices by employers because the employees are their members and this constitutes a conflict of interest?
No wonder the dwarf Labourites can’t stand you, Daphne. Just mentioning your name sends shivers down their spine as they know you are not afraid of them and will find out the facts.
Keep it up.
Now l am waiting for Peppi Azzopardi to dedicate one program of Xarabank to discuss our citizenship sale.
This is generally amusing, considering that a normal foreign person has to wait 18 years to get citizenship. It’s nice to know that the Maltese government cares so much that the average person is yet again bypassed.
So now what?
The non-Maltese people who have genuinely lived in Malta for years and who have made a life for themselves here will be ignored in favour of those people with “delicate matters” and several millions in store for their escape day… Wait… I meant rainy day.
Moreover, on what basis/merits is Konrad Mizzi’s wife, Sai Mizzi Liang, recruited as Malta’s investment promotion envoy for Asia? Was there an open recruitment or was it a secret favour like the grant of the concessionary position to Henley?
The people who will buy a Maltese passport will infiltrate EU countries using us, and we will be responsible for that.
The secrecy behind this scheme, to hide the persons from us, is malicious. It makes you think that the prime minister who already knows them must hide away something bad not to alarm us.
TheLabour Party confirmed that it had meetings with Henley & Partners before the last general election.