World
EU refers Malta to court over controversial ‘golden passport’ scheme
The European Fee has mentioned it can take Malta to courtroom over the member state’s “golden passport” scheme.
Overseas residents can purchase Maltese and EU citizenship in change for round €1 million of funding underneath the controversial programme.
The Fee mentioned in a assertion on Thursday that it determined to refer Malta to the EU’s Court docket of Justice.
Cyprus and Bulgaria had additionally issued “golden passports” however each have since ended, leaving Malta as the one EU nation with such a scheme.
Brussels has lengthy criticised the initiative, arguing it encourages corruption and cash laundering whereas complaining the buyers should not have any obligation to stay within the EU.
“EU values will not be on the market,” EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders wrote on Twitter.
“By providing citizenship in change for pre-determined funds or investments, with none actual hyperlink to the Member State involved, Malta is in breach of EU legislation,” he added.
The EU Fee first launched an infringement process towards Malta in October 2020 to cease the controversial observe.
The Maltese authorities has maintained that its system “doesn’t contravene” the EU treaties and reiterates that its citizenship insurance policies fall inside its nationwide competence.
The sale of passports generated greater than €800 million for Malta between 2014 and 2020, the federal government mentioned.
The “golden passport” scheme was nonetheless suspended for Russian and Belarusian residents in March following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Though it is a constructive step, Malta continues to implement the scheme for nationals of all different nationalities and has not expressed any intention to finish it,” the Fee’s assertion learn.
“EU citizenship mechanically provides the fitting to free motion, entry to the EU inside market, and the fitting to vote and to be elected in European and native elections.”
“For these causes, the circumstances for acquiring and dropping nationality, regulated by the nationwide legislation of every Member State, are topic to due respect for EU legislation.”
Some EU international locations nonetheless function programmes to promote so-called “golden visas” that permit overseas buyers to acquire residency.
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Canadian police say 9 people will be charged after $20 million worth of gold was stolen last year from airport
Police said nine people are facing charges in what authorities are calling the biggest gold theft in Canadian history from Toronto’s Pearson International airport a year ago.
Peel Regional Police said Wednesday that 6,600 gold bars worth more than 20 million Canadian dollars ($14.5 million) and CA$2.5 million ($1.8 million) was stolen and the gold was melted down and used to purchase illegal firearms.
Those charged include a Air Canada warehouse employee and a former Air Canada manager who gave police a tour of cargo of the facility after the theft. A jewelry store owner is also charged.
TORONTO AIRPORT HEIST: $15M CONTAINER OF GOLD, VALUABLE ITEMS STOLEN FROM CARGO FACILITY
“This story is a sensational one and which probably, we jokingly say, belongs in a Netflix series,” Peel Regional Chief Nishan Duraiappah said.
Peel Reginal Detective Sgt. Mike Mavity said the gold bars, weighing 419 kilograms (923 pounds), and foreign currency, ordered from a refinery in Zurich, Switzerland, were transported in the haul of a Air Canada flight on April 17 last year.
He said that late afternoon a truck driver arrived at the airline’s cargo warehouse with a fraudulent bill that was provided to a airline warehouse attendant.
Mavity said a bill for seafood that was picked up the day before was used to pick up the gold. The duplicate bill was printed off at the Air Canada warehouse, he said.
“They needed people within Air Canada to facilitate this theft,” Mavity said in front of the truck police say was used in the theft.
Mavity said police are searching for the Air Canada manager who gave police a tour of the facility in the days after the theft. He said that manager left his job last summer and said they have an idea of where he is.
Mavity said some of the suspects were known to police and some were not. He said they seized six crudely made bracelets made of gold.
“I don’t think I ever imagined they would have to deal with the largest gold heist in Canadian history,” said Patrick Brown, the mayor of Brampton, Ontario. “It’s almost out of an ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ movie or CSI.”
Air Canada employee Parmpal Sidhu, 54, from Brampton, Ontario, jewelry store owner Ali Raza, 37, from Toronto, Amit Jalota, 40, a Oakville, Ontario resident, Ammad Chaudhary, 43, from Georgetown, Ontario and Prasath Paramalingam, 35, from Brampton are among those that have been arrested. Mavity said they have been released on bail conditions and will be in court at a later date.
US MARINE ARRESTED IN TEXAS AFTER STEALING OVER $500,000 IN JEWELRY, AUTHORITIES SAY
Mavity said the truck driver that allegedly picked up the gold, Durante King-Mclean, a 25-year-old from Brampton, is currently in custody in the U.S. on firearms and trafficking related charges.
Police are searching for former Air Canada manager Simran Preet Panesar, 31, from Brampton as well as Archit Grover, 36, from Brampton and Arsalan Chaudhary, 42, from Mississauga Ontario.
Peel Regional Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said only CA$90,000 ($65,00) of the more than CA$20 million has been recovered.
U.S. ATF Special Agent, Eric DeGree, said King-Mclean, was arrested in Pennsylvania after a traffic stop and that led to the seizure of 65 illegal firearms that were allegedly destined to be smuggled into Canada. DeGree said he tried to flee after police discovered the firearms in his rental car.
Brinks, an American cash handling company, arrived at the airport cargo facility the night of April 17 to pick up the gold and were told the gold and currency was missing after a search.
Brinks sued Air Canada over the theft last year. According to the company’s filing last year, a thief walked away with the costly cargo after presenting a fake document at an Air Canada warehouse on April 17.
In a Nov. 8 statement of defense, Air Canada rejected “each and every allegation” in the Brink’s lawsuit, saying it fulfilled its carriage contracts and denying any improper or “careless” conduct.
CANADIAN POLICE WARN THAT POSTING VIDEOS OF ALLEGED PACKAGE THIEVES COULD BE ‘VIOLATION’ OF THEIR PRIVACY
The country’s largest airline also said Brink’s failed to note the value of the haul on the waybill — a document typically issued by a carrier with details of the shipment — and that if Brink’s did suffer losses, a multilateral treaty known as the Montreal Convention would cap Air Canada’s liability.
In Federal Court filings that claim breach of contract and millions of dollars in damages, Brinks said an “unidentified individual” gained access to the airline’s cargo warehouse and presented a “fraudulent” waybill shortly after an Air Canada flight from Zurich landed at Pearson.
The statement of the claim says the staff then handed over 400 kilograms of gold in the form of 24 bars plus nearly $2 million in cash to the thief, who promptly “absconded with the cargo.”
DeGree said dozens of firearms authorities were seized, including two fully automatic weapons and five guns that were untraceable.
“I’m proud to say that we successfully put an international gun trafficking operation out of business. We kept 65 firearms off the streets of Canada and prevented them from being used in any number of crimes,” DeGree said.
Mavity said that “we believe they melted down the gold and with the profits they got from the gold they used to purchase illegal firearms.”
World
'You are a criminal!' Heckler blasts von der Leyen's stance on Israel
A speech by Ursula von der Leyen was briefly interrupted on Wednesday by a man who accused her of being a “criminal” over her support for Israel.
The European Commission President was about to deliver a speech at the European Defence and Security Summit when she was abruptly interrupted by a man who stood up and directed accusations at her.
“Mrs von der Leyen, this is a citizen’s arrest! You are charged with aiding genocide in Gaza!” the man is heard saying.
“You have expressed total support for Israel at the beginning of this genocide! The blood of Palestinian children is on your hands!”
At that moment, another person approached the man, who continued shouting while he was removed from the room.
“You are a criminal, Mrs von der Leyen! You should be at the Hague! You should not be here. You should not be looking for a second term! You are war — you are a criminal!”
“Free Palestine! Free Palestine!” he added, as his voice faded away.
Von der Leyen, who stood still and showed no reaction during the unexpected occurrence, then began her intervention by thanking her hosts for the invitation.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s a pleasure to be here,” she said.
The President proceeded to deliver a wide-ranging speech about the need for Europe to strengthen its security and defence as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Since the 7th October attacks launched by Hamas against Israel, von der Leyen has emerged as one of Europe’s staunchest advocates of the Jewish nation, a support she underscored in a closely-watched visit to Jerusalem in the immediate aftermath.
However, her support quickly backfired as the death toll in the Gaza Strip caused by the Israeli offensive began mounting and the devastation turned into a humanitarian catastrophe.
Although she never backtracked on her stance, von der Leyen gradually adapted her narrative to position herself as a leading actor in the provision of emergency aid to Gaza, travelling to Cyprus last month to announce a maritime corridor.
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