Maltese ‘golden’ passports were sold to Russians with Ukraine war links

Russian businessman Albert Avodolian was hit by the EU ban on Moscore war in Ukraine, but he could partially obstruct the block’s travel ban for the multi -travel passport that had been purchased under a “Golden” visa scheme this week.

Avodolian, who received his passport in the 21st, was one of the seven who attained multi -citizenship and was subsequently damaged by the United States, EU or Ukrainian sanctions on the Russian war, according to the Financial Times on the basis of the country’s government gazette and leaked documents.

Passport-holders are among the larger groups of 16 who have successfully paid for multi-citizenship despite being politically open persons, or later appeared on the ban or guilty of crime.

Malta is the latest EU country that still provides citizenship for sale, drawing from the European Commission, which has taken the country to the European Justice Court to stop the project.

The Commission argued that the project was “the essence and integrity of the EU citizenship”. The court is expected to rule on Tuesday.

Citizenship or housing schemes for cash have been prevalent in Europe and Caribbean for decades, but criticized. When the UK has canceled its gold visas, it says the project has “accessed the UK access to corrupt elites”. The European Commission has said that this national program “has created significant risks, including corruption, money laundering and tax evasion”.

“This is an insurance policy to someone, it’s an exit technique to someone … these schemes are very problems for several reasons,” said Rostomville, the only one of the transparency international. “It opens the EU door, so not just the Malta door” “

Rostmashvilly said that giving cash to citizenship in Malta and other countries was a “trend” that people would apply for passports “just before the ban on the ban on them or before a large scandal was broken and before the criminal case began.”

People who buy multi -passports become EU citizens with the right to stay inside the block. They can easily open EU bank accounts and businesses and travel to many other countries without a visa.

Applying for citizenship in the 21st praised the “reliability, protection, peace, silence and pleasant people” by applying for citizenship.

Also, three of those who received multi -passports were subsequently under US sanctions on the Ukraine war and three more approved by Kiev.

Authorized persons include Avzenia Vladimirovna Bernova, who is accused of acquiring the US[ing] Dual-Using Equipment “which can be used for” Russian end users for military purposes “. The United States says that he” assisted in exporting equipment. The The For the last users of Russia, “he managed by a Malta-based company.

Bernova said that he had earned “Multi-citizenship in a thorough and multi-tier appropriate labor process” and he was “true links with Malta”, with a business that he said that he was “the real investment in Malta, and nothing illegal or hidden”. He said he had invested in film production on the island and had “deep personal reasons” for citizenship.

Bernova said the list of ban was a “abuse by the US authorities”.

One of the least multi -multi -passports has been later canceled.

In addition to the subsequently approved or guilty persons, there is also political personality among those who are salaries for multi -citizenship. The so -called politically exposed persons are considered as a special risk bearer of corruption by the regulators.

Three members of the Saudi royal family – Prince Khaled and his sons received Badar and Mishal – Multiji passports. Prince Khaled and his family had no immediate response to the request to comment through their organization.

The Multi -Government Gazette a “Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo Kozuanko Tiodoro” as a new citizen in 2016, the same name as the current National Defense Secretary in the Philippines. A lawyer to Toidoro said that he was not a Malta citizen or the holder of a multi -Multi -passport “but he refused to comment on whether toodoro had returned the passport from 20 2016.

No allegations of corruption have been made against Saudi or toodoro.

The European Commission says: “EU values ​​are not for sale. Investors’ citizenship projects violate the EU law … they should be abolished.”

Applicants for Malta have to invest at least one-off of € 600,000, either purchase or renting a property, donating $ 10,000 for charity and living in the country for three years. Investment for € 750,000 investors can be reduced to one year.

In his application, the owner of Russia’s coal and gas companies, Avolian said that “holding this national passport as a businessman will greatly help me traveling around Europe and around the world”.

The Avodolian, whose four children and wives also earned a multi -passport, could travel to Malta despite the EU ban on the Russian government to “supply enough sources of revenue” to the Russian government despite the EU ban in February.

Note that he list his ban on “closely connected” with the state arms giant Rostake.

Private agency Henley & Partners’ documents, which were leaked to the organized crime and corruption report projects and were shared with other media, the Avodolians received the residency card in 20 and traveled to Malta four times the next year.

Henley designed and edited the “Golden” passport system after the start of 2013.

The avidolians in documents have spent about two weeks in the country, providing evidence of hotels and restaurant bills and private jets as evidence. Ignoring Valata, Henley selected and operated the property they had rented with a “boutique apartment” on the coastal slima, which provided the rent annually and the Melbox empty the monthly.

Identity Malta, government agencies, assumed the applications of applications that “in principle” fulfilled all the 12 -month residence requirements in Avolian Malta. “We refuse to comment on the points indicated,” said Avodolian.

Russian Millionaire Pavel Melnikov, a multi -passport and Henley, received a passport from St Kitts and Nevis in 2002 with the help of Henley, leaked on the records show.

In 2018, the Finnish authorities raided the Turkur Finish Islands. He was punished for tax and accounting fraud in Finland in February. His Malta citizenship has been rejected since then.

Mellnikov is appealing to be convicted and said he would challenge his multi -passport withdrawal, which he said was “without legal base”. His lawyer Kai Kotirant said: “Mellnikov has denied Finland or anywhere else anywhere and all wrongdoing. He has achieved his nationality on the basis of local law and exemption, which is nothing new or non-common.”

Melanomnov said that he acquired his multi -citizenship “not just for a tax break, but also able to be able to travel to Europe. Multiz passports were only obtained legally, following all legal requirements, not through any criminal project”.

Another example is the semen Kaksov, who was imprisoned for criminal funds in the UK last year. The Crown Prosecution Service says that the 24 -year -old worker worked as “criminal money to raise money and supply laundered money abroad”.

Similar publications left their passport sales program under pressure from Cyprus and Bulgaria Brussels. However, the Malta government has maintained its project, arguing that it has strengthened the check and prevents the passports of Russian and Belarusian citizens.

“What Malta has done in the Caruana Galizia Foundation in Daffon says,” What Malta has done is the European Union has been hacked. ” “We made these Commons in the EU, and now the member states are starting to pick up eating [away] It ”

US President Donald Trump has announced a $ 5 million plan for the “Gold Card” in the United States this year. In Europe, countries like Portugal, Spain and Hungary still provide residency permits for cash, but not passports.

Caruana Galizia’s mother, Daffne, a journalist who published a soft Golden Passport Scheme in Malta, was killed by a car bomb in 2017. Paul Caruana Galizia, his son, is now an FT reporter. The trial of the two accused of being involved in his murder was started on Thursday.

The multi -government government did not respond to any request for comments.

Henley & Partners spokesman Sara Nicholin said he could not comment on separate cases because of the missing information and data protection. He said that a person could “impose all the hard work tests all the hard work but may still be involved in criminal activities”.

He said that “Malta actually needed to set up a place of accommodation with the country and other real links with applicants.

Henley, which earlier received fees from the Multi -government government for each successful application, is now one of the many companies to implement the program.

Matthew Caruana Galizia says advanced diligence checks will not fix this project, as there are problems with people attracted to apply the problem. “It’s not with growing changes [you can] Stop The Bad boys ting inside. To do more with the nature of the scheme, “he said.

Promoters fear that Malta may encourage other countries like Cyprus to recover or open new projects like Cyprus.

“If this is the case we will probably see a racing at the bottom.

Chris Cook in London, Richard Milate in Oslo, Paulina Ivanova in Berlin and Additional Report of Ahmed Al Omran in Jeddah