Update – 2100h The Nationalist Party on Sunday condemned the Labour governmet for the “great damage” they did and were still doing to Malta reputation. The PN MPs will use their time in Parliament to emphasise and explain the gravity of the situation in the country following Saturday’s court developments.
At the end of the meeting the Leader of the Opposition released the following message:
Political Developments – Prime Minister Robert Abela on Sunday distanced himself from former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri, saying he is no longer an integral part of the Labour Party. Abela declined to apologise for the government’s past defence of Schembri, saying he could only answer for his own actions. The Prime Minister also poured cold water over Schembri’s attempt to undermine the work carried out by the magisterial inquiry leading to his prosecution. “I will defend the institutions, I will not let anyone undermine their integrity,” Abela said. TimesofMalta
Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has said the “there is a lot of truth” that needs to come out to “expose criminals” closely involved with the Labour Party. Grech said that Schembri’s case was brought to the fore, not thanks to the institutions, but thanks to the Civil Society and the Nationalist Party that fought tooth and nail to ensure that the procedures would start. Simon Busuttil was a crucial member of this group, Grech said, “as he had the courage to show that the eight box files he presented in court back in 2017 were not empty, but full of evidence of Schembri’s ties to money laundering and corruption.” Grech added that if he were PM, he would grant Muscat the pardon because “no person should be hidden from justice”, he said. Vince Muscat has claimed that a sitting minister was involved in a ‘big job’, but has not revealed any further details on the matter. – Malta Independent
Reacting to court developments on Saturday evening, former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has said that he will let justice run its course. Muscat, reacting to court developments on Saturday evening said that he will let justice run its courts. MaltaToday
Leader of the Opposition and Partit Nazzjonalista Leader Bernard Grech called an urgent Parliamentary Group meeting in lieu of the latest developments in the arraignment in court of 11 individuals. Amongst those charged and denied bail is Joseph Muscat’s former Chief of Staff, Keith Schembri. The charges include corruption, fraud and money laundering. – Newsbook
Covid-19 Update
Malta has registered 224 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the health ministry has said. Active cases stand 2,736, after 358 recoveries were registered. There were three persons who died while positive with Covid-19.
Newspaper Review
The Sunday Times reports that former chief of staff Keith Schembri was among 11 persons charged with corruption and money laundering on Saturday following the outcome of a magisterial inquiry requested in 2019 by then Opposition leader Simon Busuttil.
Malta Today says that Keith Schembri was kept in custody at Corradino after he was denied bail on Saturday. He was arraigned in court together with his father, business associates, former Nexia BT partners, and senior officials from Zenith Finance and Allied Group.
The Independent on Sunday says that Keith Schembri pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering and corruption. A magisterial inquiry concluded that he had paid former Allied Group director Adrian Hillman €650,000 in bribes between 2011 and 2015.
It-Torċa reports on developments on Saturday as the police department for financial crimes investigations summoned two women and nine men, including former chief of staff Keith Schembri, for interrogation.
Il-Mument says that charges of corruption, falsification and false witness against Keith Schembri involves 10 other people and links to 20 companies. The former chief of staff is being accused of crimes against accountability.
Illum says that the police are investigating allegations of fraud running into the hundreds of thousands by the directors of Allied Group when they conducted business with Keith Schembri while requesting investment aid from Malta Enterprise.
Malta Today reveals that plans drawn in May by the Superintendent for Public Health had recommended a gradual easing of lockdown measures in 2020, reopening international travel in September.
The Independent on Sunday publishes an interview with Education Minister Justyne Caruana who spoke about plans to help students who endured a turbulent academic year. She said the government will take decisions according to the developing situation.
Il-Mument PN Leader Bernard Grech who described the development in court on Saturday as a “moment of reckoning” for the country to turn a new leaf. Gerch said that wrongdoing never prevails in the end.
It-Torċa carries an interview with a source from the tourism sector who said that the plans for an EU Covid-19 passport is expected to be launched by summer, despite disagreements by the World Health Organisation.
Morning Briefing
Keith Schembri charged with money laundering and corruption, denied bail
Saturday was dominated by the news that former OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri together with eleven other persons were arraigned in Court, standing accuse of crimes which include money laundering, complicity in an offence that carries a prison term and fraud. Schembri was denied bail.
Apart from Schembri, who served as ex-prime minister Joseph Muscat’s chief of staff, Nexia BT partners Brian Tonna and Karl Cini, and Schembri’s business partner Malcolm Scerri and his father Alfio Schembri, were aso charged.
Former Allied Group director Vincent Buhagiar is also among the accused. Police are said to have sought the arrest of another former Allied Group director, Adrian Hillman, who is in the UK.
Charges were also filed against 20 companies. The arraignments come following a magisterial inquiry into allegations that Schembri paid Hillman some €650,000 in bribes between 2011 and 2015.
The court has upheld attachment and freezing orders on all assets of accused, with the same order as before blocking all movable and immovable property.
The Magistrate clarified that the charges also related to a separate magisterial inquiry that looked into claims of alleged kickbacks from the sale of passports involving Schembri and and his financial advisors Nexia BT.
Criminal clique has taken over – PN
PN leader Bernard Grech said Saturday’s developments confirm how a “criminal clique” had taken control of the Labour government, which then went on to take control of the institutions so as to evade justice. “Today’s events confirm how the country needs to turn over a new leaf and close this dark chapter once and for all. This is another step to clean up our country’s name,” he said in a Facebook post.
Kohhu requests second pardon
Self-confessed Daphne Caruana Galizia assassin Vincent Muscat has requested a second presidential pardon to reveal inside information on three other more major crimes. Muscat requested clemency for his role in two failed armed robberies and an assassination.
Earlier this month, while on the witness stand, Muscat had referred to a “big job” allegedly involving former minister Chris Cardona as well as an unnamed sitting minister.
Last February Muscat was granted a Presidential Pardon to reveal details of the homicide of lawyer Carmel Chircop and the Pardon granted was restricted to this incident which took place in 2015.
Covid-19 Update
Five persons died while being Covid-19 positive, health authorities said on Saturday. The victims’ age ranged between 68 and 85. The death tally now stands at 369. 210 new cases of coronavirus were reported on Saturday, with the number of recoveries reaching 230. This means that the number of active cases continues to slowly decrease, standing at 2,873.
