Dear Mr. Cyrus Engerer,

Maria Efimova was an employee of the notorious Pilatus Bank that, according to US prosecutors, was set up in Malta with funds derived from criminal activity.

Pilatus Bank's owner was arrested in the United States and faces 125 in prison for crimes that include money laundering.

Ms Efimova exposed the money laundering processes of the Bank, the relationship between Pilatus Bank, Nexia BT and Henley and Partners and the clients of Pilatus Bank that include the Chief of Staff of the Maltese Prime Minister and a minister of his Government, both Politically Exposed Persons.

As far as I am aware, Pilatus Bank remains a criminal organization that laundered money for the Maltese Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, according to leaked reports from Malta's anti-money laundering agency. It also laundered money for the ruling elite in Azerbaijan, according to the journalists of the consortium "Daphne Project". Pilatus Bank's owner - Ms Efimova's former employer - remains under house arrest in the United States.

It is the above that formed the basis of my call, together with other MEPs. This has remained unchanged. I see no reason to change the protection afforded to Ms. Efimova in Greece, preventing her extradition to Malta. The fact that action has yet to be taken in Malta against the politically exposed persons involved, if anything, indicates that the situation has deteriorated.

The European Banking Authority has, in the meantime, on 11 July, found that the Maltese FIAU had breached the EU law by failing to take action in the supervision of Pilatus Bank and urged the FIAU to take the necessary action to comply with the relevant Anti-Money Laundering/ Countering the Financing of Terrorism Directives.

Furthermore, regarding the selected extract that was published of the magisterial enquiry on E-grant, I note that the inability to identify the UBO of an anonymous Panama company that was subject to bearer shares is no surprise. I hope to be able to read the full report of the magisterial enquiry on E-grant and not just the few selected pages that were so far published in Malta.

Finally, let me stress that the two politically exposed persons who have been proven to have similar Panama companies, remain in public office in the Government of Malta. That is shocking and reprehensible.

Best regards,

Ana Gomes