Police suspect Shanghai consul profited from Chinese visa sales

Police who arrested a government official and his wife on money laundering charges suspect that they may have generated illegal profits through Chinese visa sales. 

Malta's consul to Shanghai, Aldo Cutajar, 55, and his wife, Isabel, 52, also face charges of tax evasion and appeared in court on Monday for the compilation of evidence against them. 

Prosecuting Inspector Lianne Bonello gave an overview of investigations leading up to the couple’s arrest, presenting three boxes and two large bags of evidence in court.

She said that a list of names and passport numbers were also found alongside cash at the couple’s home, prompting police to suspect that illicit profits were being generated through Chinese visa sales. 

The Cutajars insist that their wealth was generated through their interior design business, which had raked in some €2 million mainly from Chinese clients.

Charges were additionally filed against Gemini Design Studios Ltd, a company set up in June 2017 and registered in Limassol, Cyprus.

€2 million in payments

The couple had operated an interior design venture in Malta, with the company going into liquidation in 2005 after the public officer had faced proceedings in...