Attorney General mishap sets Melvin Theuma phantom job case back another month

The case against five men accused of placing Melvin Theuma on the government payroll without requiring him to do any work had to be adjourned to March, after the Attorney General failed to inform the prosecuting police inspector whether any evidence remained to be exhibited.

Magistrate Monica Vella presided this afternoon’s sitting in the compilation of evidence against Keith Schembri, the former chief of staff at the Office of the Prime Minister, and Yorgen Fenech, together with former OPM customer care chief Sandro Craus, former private secretary in the family ministry Anthony Ellul and former Housing Maintenance and Embellishment Co Ltd CEO Anthony Muscat, who are accused of theft and misappropriation of public funds.

Theuma, who had confessed to having acted as the middleman between Yorgen Fenech and hitmen George Degiorgio, Alfred Degiorgio and Vince Muscat in organising the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, had testified in other proceedings to having been employed with the Housing Maintenance and Embellishment Co Ltd on 1 May 2017 as part of the deal.

Theuma, who was granted a pardon in exchange for his testimony about the Caruana Galizia murder plot, had visited the Office of the Prime Minister before being given the job, taking a photo with Schembri on that day. However, although he received a salary from the government-owned company, Theuma had never actually turned up for work. 

During the previous sitting, on February 1, the defence had requested the court to declare the prosecution’s evidence to be closed, accusing the other side of using delay tactics to prolong the case unnecessarily. The court had dictated a note at the end of that sitting, informing the prosecution that its behaviour in this case was unacceptable.

When the case continued on Tuesday, police inspectors Nicholas Vella and Brian Paul Camilleri declared that while the police had no further evidence to exhibit, they also informed the court that no reply had been received from the Attorney General with regards to whether any evidence remained to be exhibited.

Fenech is being represented by lawyers Charles Mercieca, Gianluca Caruana Curran and Marion Camilleri in these proceedings. 

Lawyers Edward Gatt and Mark Vassallo are defence counsel to Schembri.

Lawyer Stefano Filletti is appearing for Anthony Muscat.

Lawyers Vince Micallef and Ryan Ellul are representing Anthony Ellul.

Lawyers Michael Sciriha and Lucio Scriha are defending Sandro Craus.