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17 Black: Dubai has sent Maltese police all information, David Casa says
Nationalist MEP who asked magistrate to investigate leaked FIAU report on 17 Black says UAE authorities have supplied Malta with all information on Yorgen Fenech offshore company
30 March 2021, 2:38pm
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Nationalist MEP David Casa
The Nationalist MEP David Casa has said Maltese financial crime investigators have recieved all the information requested from United Arab Emirates authorities on transactions concerning 17 Black, the secret offshore company owned by Tumas magnate Yorgen Fenech.
The company had already been identified by Malta’s Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit as a conduit to the Panama companies set up by former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri, and former minister Konrad Mizzi in emails sent by auditors Nexia BT.
“Today, I am in a position to confirm that the Maltese authorities have received all the requested information from the authorities in the United Arab Emirates,” said Casa, who had submitted a leaked FIAU report to an inquiring magistrate for investigation in 2018.
“This information is crucial for the successful prosecutions related to all the corruption and money laundering that went through 17 Black, the secret company based in Dubai. I am informed that the last batch of requested information was sent last week, and therefore now the ball is in the court of the Maltese authorities to proceed with their investigations, in pursuit of justice.”
Casa said the information requested by the Maltese authorities from the Dubai authorities had been sent in batches, with the final batch being sent last week.
“I expect this information to be used by the Maltese authorities in their investigations on corruption and money laundering related to the Electrogas power station,” Casa said.
According to emails published by media outlets, 17 Black, owned by Electrogas shareholder Yorgen Fenech, was to funnel €5,000 a day to the secret Panama companies owned by the former Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister Keith Schembri, and the former Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi.
“Last week we heard court testimony confirming details of the way Keith Schembri operated: by making millions from corruption, and then laundering that same money. Nobody doubts that what Keith Schembri did before leading Joseph Muscat’s office, he repeated and multiplied from public contracts, including the energy deal with Electrogas,” Casa said.
The MEP also forms part of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the Arab Peninsula.
The owner of 17 Black is currently being held in prison, accused of being the mastermind of the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Yorgen Fenech has, on a number of occasions, claimed that Keith Schembri insisted on having Daphne Caruana Galizia murdered, and that he has passed on information related to the investigation.
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament's grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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