Update 0830 – The police have arrested Yorgen Fenech’s family doctor Adrian Vella, on suspicion of having obstructed justice by admitting Fenech to hospital.
Vella admitted Fenech into Mater Dei hospital during his interrogation. Reports claim that no records were kept of Fenech’s visit to the hospital.
As expected, Wednesday’s Front Pages report the developments in Malta.
Malta Today reports on a country in ‘meltdown’ after resignations by Chief of Staff Keith Schembri and Minister Konrad Mizzi, and a self-suspension by Minister Chris Cardona coincided with a nationwide power outage on Tuesday.
The Independent says that Keith Schembri was questioned by police as soon as he resigned his role as chief of staff. The Prime Minister thanked Schembri for his service, but the Caruana Galizia family called for his immediate prosecution.
The Times reveals that businessman Yorgen Fenech called Keith Schembri before he tried to flee the country last week. The police discovered the lengthy call when they were going through Fenech’s phone and will now probe the data.
L-Orizzont follows the parliamentary sitting on Tuesday in which the Opposition requested an urgent debate on the Caruana Galizia investigations. House Speaker Anġlu Farrugia refused the debate.
In-Nazzjon quotes Opposition Leader Adrian Delia who said in parliament that this is ‘the hour of the people’ as large crowds were forming outside parliament to express their anger. Delia said that the government was hijacked by a criminal organisation.
The Times says that thousands of people gathered outside parliament crying ‘shame on you’ and ‘killers’ at MPs. A protest was then held in Castille Square demanding the Prime Minister’s resignation.
Malta Today says that the suspected middleman in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder will give his testimony against the three men accused of its execution. The middleman, Melvin Theuma, was granted a presidential pardon on Monday.
The Independent reports that 17 Black owner Yorgen Fenech was granted police bail for the third time just before another 48-hour arrest period expired. A statement by the police said that the businessman will be kept under strict surveillance.
L-Orizzont says that the Labour Party has called a political activity in Fgura on Sunday that will be addressed by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. The paper says that this is a sign that Muscat will not step down.
In-Nazzjon reports on a protest outside the Prime Minister’s office in Castille on Tuesday evening and quotes PN Leader Adrian Delia who, earlier in the day, said that by his own measure the Prime Minister must go.
The editorials also focus on this subject. MaltaToday claims that The Prime Minister’s position is untenable. The editorial states that ‘Yesterday marked the culmination of Joseph Muscat’s biggest ever misjudgement – retaining Keith Schembri as his chief of staff, and Konrad Mizzi, when they were revealed to have opened offshore companies in Panama in 2016.” It adds, “In these three years, the Labour government held out in defence of its minister and the chief of staff, preventing formal investigations into the Panama Papers from takin place.” The editor claims, “Labour clearly has an electoral mandate to cover till 2022 – but Joseph Muscat’s moral authority has been compromised to the point of no return after failing to sack Keith Schembri despite mounting evidence of irregular behaviour before he resigned under duress after being summoned to the police headquarters for questioning.” The editorial concludes, that the stage is set for Muscat’s exit.
The editorial of The Times is entitled And justice for all…. The editorial states that after a period where the route to justice was looking like locked, now justice appears to be back on track. It adds that there are heroes and villains in this incredible story. The heroes are those who in different fields of endeavour, despite the obstacles and obfuscation, pressed on with the criminal investigation, pursued Daphne’s probing to fruition and persisted in holding their demonstrations, all with searchlights scanning for truth. The villains (allegedly at this stage) in the piece are starting to emerge. It adds that Malta needs to revert back to a semblance of normality where social justice and the common good reign over greed, corruption and cronyism.
The editorial of Orizzont entitled ‘Il-Parlament M’Għandux Jiddiskuti f’Nofs Investigazzjoni. The editorial says that the Parliament’s discussion on the subject needs to take place only when the investigations are over. It also argues that the PN’s stance in parliament just to create noise.
The editorial of Nazzjon entitled ‘X’int tistenna Prim Ministru?’ also refers to the current situation asking for the Prime Minister to take the right decisions, now that the allegations have been confirmed and facts.
The editorial of The Malta Independent entitled “Everyone must go and every deal must be investigated” says that ‘the people resigning have inexplicably been protected by Prime Minister Muscat for years, they have dragged the nation through the mud. It argues that the Prime Minister must face his own day of reckoning. That is why, as in the title, the newspaper calls for everyone to go, including those who turned a blind eye to it for the sake of political convenience or other reasons.
What happened on Tuesday?
Konrad Mizzi and Chris Cardona have submitted their resignation from cabinet. While Konrad Mizzi resigned outright, Chris Cardona suspended himself from his position as Minister and as Deputy leader of the Labour Party. Earlier Keith Schembri who resigned the post of Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister is being interrogated at the Police Depot in connection with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The news of Schembri’s resignation, reports by Net News that sources have indicated that Yorgen Fenech, who is currently being interrogated by the police in connection with the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia is ready to provide information to the police which points towards the Chief of Staff of the Office of the Prime Minister Keith Schembri.
Well informed sources told Newsbook.com.mt that Yorgen Fenech reacted strongly to the news that Melvin Theuma, the so-called middleman in the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia was pardoned by Government. According to Newsbook he started spilling beans at a faster rate than he has been doing so far. It is reliably understood that he mentioned more than one very highly placed person in politics. After Cardona, it seems that Keith Schembri, Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister was next.
The businessman has argued that he was just another middleman in the chain leading to Ms Caruana Galizia’s murder. But sources told Times of Malta that he has so far failed to provide any evidence linking any particular individual to the assassination
The police continued to interrogate more people in connection with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, the police said in a statement. .
In the evening, the PN has again requested for today’s parliamentary sitting to discuss the national, constitutional crisis, Leader of the Opposition said, tonight, in parliament.
An altercation between Beppe Fenech Adami and Konrad Mizzi was exchanged with the former saying ” Had it not been for your machinations, she (Daphne Caruana Galizia) would still be alive” or words to that effect said our sources. The same sources said that the Prime Minister remained seated and impassive.
According to Lovin Malta police received fresh information allegedly linking Keith Schembri to a series of corruption scandals.
LovinMalta reported that Keith Schembri was one of the last people Yorgen Fenech called before he tried to flee Malta on his yacht last week. Sources said the call was not a short one and is now the subject of further investigation.
Newsbook reports that Yorgen Fenech first named Keith Schembri on Monday as news of the government pardon given to Melvin Theuma hit the headlines. Informed sources told Newsbook.com.mt that Yorgen Fenech told the police that Keith Schembri sent him a message telling him that “I’ll help you if you keep me out of it” (“Tikxifnix u ngħinek”). Alas, Fenech decided to out the corrupt dealings related to Electrogas and even the windfarms which Enemalta has built in Montenegro. Fenech spoke up also about the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The Caruana Galizia family has called for the prosecution of the PM’s former chief of staff Keith Schembri. Schembri was taken in for questioning Tuesday morning a few minutes before the official confirmation given by the Prime Minister himself.
The Caruana Galizia family said that “years after our wife and mother revealed Keith Schembri’s financial crimes, two years after her assassination, Schembri has resigned as the Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat’s chief of staff. We now urge the Maltese authorities to immediately prosecute Schembri for his wide-ranging and long-running criminal activity.”
The family urged Europol to provide the required, ‘essential’ support to investigators, prosecutors and the magistrates who are attempting “to follow the money trail of the Malta-Azerbaijan money laundering network across jurisdictions, including especially the United Arab Emirates”.
Businessman Yorgen Fenech has been given police bail after the 48-hour time window for his arrest came to an end just after 3pm.
Foreign News
The latest developments in Malta are also attracting the attention of foreign media. Politico reports that Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is under intense pressure after the investigation into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia revealed close connections between suspects in the case and his top team.
In an article entitled A Letter from Malta, Raphael Vassallo adds Muscat remains in position (for now). He has said his “role right now is to make sure the country has stable leadership,” adding: “I would definitely resign if there is any sort of association between myself and the murder.” And while his popular appeal may have been dented, he retains considerable influence over the party grassroots. “But with suspicion mounting that Muscat was, at minimum, aware of corruption, his days of unassailable power appear to be numbered”, adds Vassallo.
In a report on The Guardian entitled Maltese PM’s aide and minister quit amid turmoil over journalist’s murder, refers to the latest developments in Malta and quoting Manfred Weber, the head of the centre-right EPP grouping in the European parliament, saying that the recent events as “very worrisome”, adding that “there are lot of additional questions on the table for the prime minster of Malta,” he said, adding that Muscat had to take political responsibility with regard to the principle of an independent investigation and the rule of law.
The BBC, in a report entitiled Malta Caruana murder: Resignations spark government crisis also provided a report of the events that unfolded in Malta on Tuesday, hihglighting comments by Malta’s business community which said that the unfolding inquiry had revealed the extent of damage caused to the country. It referred to a statement by the chamber of commerce said it had become clear “the extent to which criminal activity had infiltrated the circles of power, and operated unperturbed for years”.
Euronews led with the resignation of Schembri in their story entitled “Malta government chief of staff Schembri has resigned – PM Muscat”, referring to the comments given by the Prime Minister to the press on Tuesday. “What is happening now, and what happened last week is an operation that is hopefully solving the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder,” Muscat told Reuters on Tuesday. “Whatever people might say, there is no impunity in this country.”
The Telegraph, in a report entitled “Ministers and chief of staff step aside in Malta as investigation into murder of journalist deepens” says that Malta was plunged into political turmoil on Tuesday after three politicians close to the prime minister fell on their swords as the investigation into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia gained pace.
The Financial Times reports that the resignations that took place on Tuesday raise pressure on prime minister Joseph Muscat on a report entitled “Top Malta officials quit in Caruana Galizia murder case fallout.”The report refers to the news about Longstanding questions over Mr Schembri and Mr Mizzi intensified after the detention and later release on police bail last week of Yorgen Fenech, a magnate to whom the pair allegedly had financial ties.
The Mail reports that Malta PM’s chief of staff quits amid investigation into anti-corruption journalist’s murder after main suspect names him during questioning. The report adds that sources revealed Keith Schembri had been summoned by police after he was mentioned by the tycoon Yorgen Fenech, who was hauled off his yacht in St Julian’s last week.
The Bankog Times reports the story in a report entitled “Two top Malta politicians quit as journalist murder probe deepens”.
The Independent reports “Malta journalist murder: Two senior government officials resign after businessman arrested on yacht”.
The Washington Post reports Malta PM chief of staff quits amid probe on reporter murder.
