Ex-Malta Ministers Face Charges Over Links to Casino Mogul Behind Journalist’s Murder

Two former top Maltese politicians are set to face criminal charges related to their alleged involvement with 17 Black, a company linked to accused murderer and casino mogul Yorgen Fenech. 

Following the conclusion of a criminal investigation, magistrate Charmaine Galea has recommended the prosecution of Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi in a formal request submitted to the country’s Attorney General last week, according to reports from Malta Today.

11.5 Million Leaked Documents 

Schembri served as chief of staff to former prime minister Joseph Muscat until 2019, while Mizzi held the position of energy minister and later health minister. 

Both men were allegedly involved in a series of financial dealings connected to 17 Black, an offshore company registered in Dubai under Fenech’s ownership. This revelation came after the Panama Papers leak in 2016.

The 11.5 million leaked documents detailing financial and attorney-client information for more than 214,488 offshore entities revealed that 17 Black planned to transfer $2 million to shell companies linked to both men, Hearnville and Tillgate respectively, raising suspicions of corruption at the highest levels of Maltese politics.

Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was investigating these corrupt links at the time, was assassinated in October 2017 when a bomb exploded in her car. She had been uncovering details about the controversial energy contract awarded to Fenech’s company, Electrogas. 

The deal, worth $500 million, was believed to be at the center of the corruption allegations. 

Caruana Galizia had begun examining over 600,000 leaked emails from Electrogas when she was killed, prompting widespread outrage and public protests that ultimately led to Muscat’s resignation in 2019.

Fenech, Alleged Mastermind Behind Journalist’s Death

Fenech’s connection to the scandal deepened after his arrest in 2019 when he was identified as the mastermind behind the murder plot against Caruana Galizia. 

Police also arrested Melvin Theuma, the middleman in the killing, who later revealed Fenech’s involvement. 

Fenech, who is currently awaiting trial, is accused of orchestrating the murder because he feared that the journalist would expose his corrupt dealings. 

When Caruana Galizia published her original blog post, she didn’t fully comprehend the purpose of 17 Black. 

However, just five days later, she referred to it as “the company which those crooks use to move money in and out of Dubai.”

Schembri was briefly detained and interrogated in connection with Caruana Galizia’s death but was soon released.

While Schembri and Mizzi were charged with bribery and money laundering last year in connection to the government health contract scandal, the latest inquiry has attracted more charges against them linked to 17 Black. 

In addition to the two former ministers, the inquiry also named other individuals connected to Electrogas, including former director Paul Apap Bologna and Mario Pullicino, who are accused of collaborating in fraudulent schemes.

The investigation has added more fuel to the fire, with the Maltese people increasing demands for greater transparency and accountability from the government which they eventually brought down in 2019.

Opposition parties have called for full disclosure of the inquiry’s findings, while the ruling Labour Party insists that none of the individuals involved remain active within the party. 

These developments raise further questions about the rule of law and governance in Malta, with both domestic and international observers keeping a close eye on the legal proceedings progress.