In 2017, the network of European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) published a series of articles based on hundreds of thousands of documents, including details about over 70,000 companies registered in Malta’s public
company register. The investigation allegedly showed that Malta operates as a hub for corporate tax avoidance inside the EU and has, among other things, cost other countries €2 billion in lost tax income. The scandal also concluded that the Maltese system is being used by wealthy individuals to dodge taxes in their home countries (source).