16/03/17

EU: Panama Papers, PANA committee off to the USA

The Committee of Inquiry into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion (PANA) within the EU Parliament will be heading to the USA next week to hold a series of meetings, reports The Independent.

AD Chairperson Arnold Cassola posted this information on his Facebook page.

“After having investigated the London, Malta and Luxembourg financial systems, the PANA delegation will next week visit the USA, including Delaware, which is renowned for its tax avoidance systems. Even Washington will be hosting a public debate on financial systems. And, unlike the Maltese refusal, US parliamentarians will be meeting with the MEPs. It seems the US senators and congressmen do not give a damn about what Keith Schembri thinks about the PANA Committee mandate,” he said making reference to OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri’s last minute refusal to meet with the committee.

The EU Parliamentarians will be in the USA between 21 – 24 March.

Last February, members of the PANA committee came to Malta and interviewed a number of politicians, authority heads and journalists.

Following their meeting with Minister Konrad Mizzi, who is at the centre of the local aspect of the scandal, where he was found to have companies in the secretive jurisdiction of Panama, PANA Committee Chairman Werner Langen said that Minister Konrad Mizzi's situation regarding his Panama company "looks like money laundering", however stressed that things are not clear at the moment.

The PANA committee is not solely looking into the Panama Papers, but is rather looking into EU legislation in terms of any possible loopholes which may exist when it comes to money laundering and tax evasion.