Sometimes, you just have to plug Henley & Partners’ leaks to keep them happy and leaking to you
The government seems to be regretting its ill-advised decision to leak, to The Sunday Times, information about the nature of some of the people buying the passports it has chosen to sell.
First journalists found out when the ‘Chinese billionaire’ was to fly out of Malta and cornered him at the airport.
Then others worked out that the “former Formula One driver” is Jacques Villeneuve, who is Canadian. It wasn’t tough – there are very few ex Formula One drivers still alive who don’t already have a European passport.
Times of Malta ran a story about it the day before yesterday. But guess what – it has since pulled it.
That’s the problem with making yourself dependent on somebody’s leaks. Sometimes, you have no choice to plug them when they go wrong.
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http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/generalnews/2014/01/21/Malta-media-Villeneuve-interested-citizenship_9935992.html
But ANSA didn’t pull it. Joseph Muscat cannot force them to.
The main difference between the 70s and today is the presence of the web. Publish something on the web, and within 30 minutes one does not have a chance to remove its traces.
These are just three from the numerous sites one gets when searching Jacques Villeneuve and Maltese passport.
http://dailymail.org.uk/news/463148/Villeneuve-interested-in-Maltese-citizenship.html#.UuCp0R6kqSM
http://www.newsbook.com.mt/artikli/2014/1/21/villeneuve-jrid-'isir-malti‘.14045
http://www.ansa.it/ansamed/en/news/nations/europe/2014/01/21/Malta-media-Villeneuve-interested-citizenship_9935997.html
Still, it doesn’t say much for Times of Malta’s editors if they really pulled the story under government’s pressure.
It doesn’t say much for them if they published it in the first place. The story was based on misinformation. Shouldn’t they have contacted Villeneuve to see what he says?
Give the devil his due: Times of Malta reported what L-Orizzont published that day, quoting L-Orizzont.
The president of Malta can defend his government’s scheme as much as he likes. But the government’s comparision of its scheme with that of Austria insulted the Austrians, and the President should have apologized to the Austrians in the name of the government.
Vienna is small and Austrians talk.
I think the President is trying to curry favour with the government, perhaps in the hope of being given some public office once his term is up in a few weeks’ time.
In my opinion, he would do much better not to speak about the IIP at a time when the scheme, far from being a mere business proposition, remains a matter of political controversy in Malta.
By the way, is the considerable expense involved in making state visits (mostly matters of much pomp and circumstance signifying nothing) cost-effective in today’s world?
What real difference does it make in terms of attracting business to Malta if the President delivers a few prepared remarks? Are investors impressed by speeches made by non-executive heads of state?
The president should never have defended the passport scheme. He knows that it is a very divisive and politically charged issue.
To boot, he did it in Austria, a country which has been dragged into this whole mess by half truths and lies from our PM.
Times of Malta has really gone downhill. Freedom of the press will soon be just a distant memory. The reds won’t be burning it down this time, that’s for sure. They might build an extension for it though.
This is a very “socialist” inspired sale of citizenship.
Villeneuve denies interest in buying Maltese Citizenship
http://www.newsbook.com.mt/artikli/2014/1/23/esklussiva:-mhux-veru-li-villeneuve-interessat-jixtri-c-cittadinanza-maltija.14119
Will someone please explain what investment Villeneuve plans for Malta?
He’s a nice chap, good sense of humour and did inherit some of his father’s talent (now that’s real talent, the stuff of legend, more photogenic than il Che’ himself), but it’s not as if we’re waiting for some proposal to turn this place into the next Woking or Maranello.
And as usual, here’s something his father remains utterly famous for, the battle with Arnoux, who was at times, seen eating using a fork.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhxMnYlkHeI
None. http://www.newsbook.com.mt/artikli/2014/1/23/esklussiva:-mhux-veru-li-villeneuve-interessat-jixtri-c-cittadinanza-maltija.14119
Right, back to Nelson Piquet it is.
http://www.newsbook.com.mt/artikli/2014/1/23/esklussiva:-mhux-veru-li-villeneuve-interessat-jixtri-c-cittadinanza-maltija.14119
Obviously, he lost interest and backed out.