PN demands immediate and uncensored publication of Schembri-Hillman money laundering inquiry

An inquiry into allegations of money laundering involving Keith Schembri and Adrian Hillman should be published immediately, the Nationalist Party said on Friday.

“The PN expects that the country’s institutions do not continue dragging their feet and take all necessary steps against people who committed serious crimes of corruption and money laundering… at a minimum, the conclusions of an inquiry should be published when this involves a public official,” PN justice spokesperson Karol Aquilina said.

He called for the Schembri-Hillman inquiry, which was reportedly concluded by Magistrate Josette Demicoli and passed on to the Attorney General, to be published “immediately and without being censored”.

The inquiry was called for by former Opposition leader Simon Busuttil, who had presented the magistrate a number of box files containing documents purporting to show money laundering carried out by Joseph Muscat’s chief of staff and the managing director of Allied Newspapers, publishers of the Times of Malta, Adrian Hillman.

Busuttil was ridiculed at the time and accused by the Labour Party of carrying empty box files.

The allegations concern regular money transfers totalling €650,000 from Schembri to Hillman between 2011 and 2015 through the use of offshore accounts, among others.

Busuttil had also presented the magistrate with the findings of an unpublished investigation carried out by the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) on the matter.

“It is in the public interest that the findings are made known. People cannot be allowed to remain in the dark on the corruption of Joseph Muscat and his friends. The Labour government cannot hide behind inquiries that remain under wraps,” Aquilina said.