Police Economic Crimes Unit boss who failed to act on FIAU reports is part of magisterial inquiry

Superintendent Ian Abdilla, who heads the Police Economic Crimes Unit and who for the past year has been sitting on at least three Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit reports involving the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Keith Schembri, Minister Konrad Mizzi and former Allied Newspapers managing director Adrian Hillman, is a key part of the ongoing magisterial inquiry into Egrant Inc and Pilatus Bank.

When I testified in the inquiry hearing last week, the inquiring magistrate asked me whether I would allow a police officer to be present. When I asked why, he responded that it was necessary if there were anything in my testimony that would require police action. I agreed, and a plain clothes officer walked into the courtroom.

He was not identified by name, and I realised only when I was halfway through my testimony that he was Superintendent Abdilla, the very man who had been refusing to act on the several Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit reports which his unit have had starting in April last year.

At one point Abdilla asked me directly for documents. When I refused, he demanded to know why. I responded that the only reason the police want documents is to see what evidence there is so as to sit on it as has been done with the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit reports, and that the police don’t want documents to act on them.

I was informed by the inquiring magistrate, before leaving the courtroom, that I cannot report on anything that took place during my testimony, as the inquiry is behind closed doors. But I think this is a crucial matter of public interest which impacts directly on the quality of the inquiry.

The same head of the Economic Crimes Unit who has refused to proceed against John Dalli’s daughter and to investigate Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri and Adrian Hillman on the basis of THREE Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit reports is now privy to every last bit of testimony and evidence in the magisterial inquiry into Egrant Inc, Nexia BT and Pilatus Bank.

I am informed that he was also present when the Pilatus Bank whistle-blower testified. It is not she who told me because she doesn’t know his name or what he looks like.

I am also informed that when the Opposition leader testified in the inquiry and presented documents about Keith Schembri, Brian Tonna and Pilatus Bank, he asked the inquiring magistrate specifically for no police officers to be present on the basis of lack of trust.

This is particularly relevant because the information which Simon Busuttil presented to the inquiry is the very same information contained in one of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit reports which Superintendent Ian Abdilla has had for several months now, and which he should have brought to the inquiry himself, but obviously failed to do because he has no intention of acting on it.

Superintendent Abdilla has received two promotions since the Labour Party was elected to power. Back then he was an inspector. He was promoted to superintendent and is now set to be made an assistant commissioner, but the formalising of the appointments of assistant commissioners has been temporarily halted by the Courts of Justice in response to a request for an injunction filed by Superintendent Carmelo Bartolo.