IAN FLEMING STILL PLOTTING FROM UP ABOVE – Efimova mystery, intrigue and manipulations?
The author of the James Bond series of books Ian Fleming had a vivid imagination, as did John Le Carre’ who wrote a number of spy thrillers, including “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” which was so complicated that many readers failed to understand and follow the actual plot.
Have they combined together to produce the Russian MARIA EFIMOVA? To read deeply into all the twists, turns and intrigues, one would be bound to believe maybe so.
For example, why did the Nationalist Party MEP David Casa visit this Efimova in her Greek prison last week? Is she a family relative (hardly likely) or perhaps a lover (even more hardly likely)?
Casa wrote that according to him he visited Efimova to let her know he is “behind her”. Now for a man who is being continually reviled by many as a treacherous traitor I would personally have very serious concerns in knowing he is “behind me”! Julius Caesar also had “many” friends “behind him” – and ended up being stabbed in the back by all of them!
So, what was the REAL reason for his visit? What did he really tell her? Did he offer anything else besides “hope” and “behinding”? Surely, this is just another mysterious piece in a puzzle that began some time ago.
This shadowy and mysterious Russian woman Maria Efimova was an employee of Pilatus Bank in Malta and became wanted in Malta to answer Court charges of having committed fraud against the bank and stands further accused of having insulted Police Officials, including none other than Jonathan Ferris – now “threatening” to expose the “wrong-doings of the authorities”. Undoubtedly, another mysterious piece in the puzzle.
While all this was going on, Efimova popped up as a star informer to the late Daphne Caruana Galizia who wrote that Efimova had confided that a company Egrant was registered in Panama with Michelle Muscat (wife of the PM) being the beneficiary and that Efimova had “seen” the documentation at Pilatus Bank.
This was immediately denied by the PM who requested an immediate Magisterial Inquiry to investigate Efimova’s claims and publicly pledged that even if the slightest shred of wrong-doing was found, he would immediately resign – a pledge of the highest degree.
A record 40,000 majority re-electing him shortly after provided much of the answer as to who the electorate actually believed.
In the meanwhile Efimova disappeared and failed to appear in Court to answer charges against her and from an unknown destination she said she was “in fear” for her life (!?). Later she said she was not the actual source of DCG’s allegations!
In the further meanwhile, the USA’s FBI warned PM Muscat this could well be a Russian plot to dishonor him because some months earlier he had prevented the Russian fleet from refueling in Malta on their way to Syria.
There has never been a great love-relationship between Malta and Russia. Dom Mintoff did not trust the Soviets for one single moment and kept them at arm’s length and publicly said so on many occasions – even though he was always maliciously portrayed by the Church and the PN as being some sort of undercover Soviet activist!
Up popped Simon Busuttil, then PN Leader saying this alleged Russian ploy was a great joke – little realising that the Solid Gold Medalist in Absolute Idiocy was none other than he himself, a figure of hilarity and great laughter and whose word was and is taken in line with a solid block of ice being put in a blast furnace.
Having now absconded from Malta and Cyprus (where she was also wanted for alleged fraud), two European Arrest Warrants were issued against Efimova and her whereabouts remained “unknown”.
Then, two weeks ago, closely following the former Russian spy incident in England who was poisoned in a toxic chemical attack said to have been perpetrated by Russia itself, Efimova emerged from her hiding place saying once more she “feared for her life”. She sought asylum status in Greece as apparently her husband is Greek.
She is now facing an Extradition Order to Malta to be held in a Greek Court starting 12th April claiming her return to Malta would place her life “in danger”.
Her Greek lawyer with the never-ending name of Alexandros Papasteriopoulos has already announced that her chances of avoiding extradition are remote because (a) Malta is an EU Member Country and (b) her chances of proving the non-existence of Law and Order in Malta are vastly remote as of course there is more than ample evidence that in Malta the “Rule of Law” exists no matter what Adrian Delia, Simon Busuttil, Jason Azzopardi, David Casa and Roberta Metsola say.
So, what is this Efimova afraid of? The lengths that Russia goes to in order to be avenged of what they regard as Russian “traitors” are well known.
Has Efimova fallen foul of Russian administrators in any way by perhaps botching up the whole Egrant ploy? Her claims that she may suffer the “same fate” as DCG are more than remote. So, what is the real reason for her “fear”?
Keep writing Messrs Fleming and Le Carre’ – all so very intriguing and will no doubt in future years make a great subject for a film with the part of Simon Busuttil being labeled Agent Zero, Zero, Zero (quite appropriate and today 1st April being ‘All Fools’ Day) and maybe Efimova will be the new Agent Double 0 Eight!
A Happy Easter to all!
ALBERT JEROME FENECH
