Government on Saturday issued a statement giving more details on the conditions under which individuals who received social benefits illegally would then be offered a presidential pardon.
Over a week ago, government announced that a presidential pardon is being offered for those people who received disability benefits when they were not entitled to it – and only those who have paid back everything they illegally received.
It said that there will be no pardon for those who were the instigators or promoters of the scheme.
On Saturday, government said that those who can receive a pardon are persons who from 1 January, 2022 onwards were found guilty by a Criminal Court of offences arising from the fact that those persons received, but were not entitled to, social benefits.
A pardon could also be granted to persons who have pending criminal proceedings before any Criminal Court for the same offences committed under similar circumstances to those being referred to, as well as for persons who obtained social benefits, and who are liable to be prosecuted for it; excluding persons who were the architects, promoters, or instigators of crimes covered by this scheme.
Government said that in accordance with the terms of the Proclamation issued by the President of Malta, any person who wishes to be considered for a pardon from this scheme must first make a request through their legal representative to the Director General of Social Security, confirming among other things their wish to return the money received and providing information on how the repayment will be made.
It said that after all necessary verifications have been completed, once the person has repaid all the money or entered into a written agreement to start repaying it, the request for the scheme shall be forwarded to the Police Commissioner and eventually to the Ministry of Justice, so that the latter can confirm the pardon to the applicant.
