[WATCH] Repubblika accuse police of dragging their feet on former Tumas Gaming director and Bitcoin purchase

Repubblika have accused the police of dragging their feet on the former director of Tumas Gaming who has been interrogated for months on end over Yorgen Fenech’s use of bitcoins for illicit purchases.

During a brief press conference on Monday, Robert Aquilina, president of Repubblika, a justice advocacy group, said that Anthony Farrugia, known as 'il-Buddy', was Fenech’s accomplice when making several illicit Bitcoin purchases online.

Aquilina revealed that Farrugia has an appointment at the financial crimes unit in Floriana, together with Patrick Demanuele, on 26 August. He said the appointment involves information found on Fenech’s mobile phone, plus intel from other sources.

Farrugia was among several people, including former Malta Gaming Authority CEO Heathcliff Farrugia, interrogated multiple times in the past months over messages with Fenech.

Meanwhile, Yorgen Fenech is himself accused of being the mastermind behind the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. At the time of her murder, Caruana Galizia was investigating Fenech’s elusive 17 Black company and its ties to the Electrogas power project.

Repubblika used Monday’s press conference to pressure Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa on pending cases of high-level corruption.

They listed John Dalli, Konrad Mizzi and Heathcliff Farrugia as examples of high-level figures who have been implicated in major corruption scandals or wrongdoing but are yet to face prosecution.

“We expect prosecutions against the big fish as well as accountability from the office of the Police Commissioner,” Aquilina said.

Muscat used Times interview to obstruct justice

Aquilina accused former prime minister Joseph Muscat of using a recent interview to signal messages to authorities and the Labour Party.

Referring to a recent interview with Times of Malta editor Herman Grech, Aquilina said it was significant that Muscat gave the interview a few days after the Santa Maria holiday.

“It’s evident that Joseph Muscat has his back against the wall with regards to what could happen to him in the weeks and months to come,” he remarked.

“He wanted to send a message, more than one message. Among these, he wanted to send a message to his own party to stop certain elements within it, elements which even we know are not happy with him.”

Aquilina added that he has no doubt that Muscat also wanted to signal messages “to those who could deliver justice in this country”.

His comments echo that of Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi, who claimed that Muscat used his interview with the Times of Malta to give legal advice to Yorgen Fenech.

Azzopardi went a step further and said he’s convinced that Muscat forms part of a “diabolical, orchestrated and masonic plot”.

READ ALSO: Jason Azzopardi: Muscat used Times interview to give Yorgen Fenech legal advice