Muscat given Thursday deadline to respond to Busuttil’s money laundering inquiry request

Simon Busuttil has called for a magisterial inquiry into potential money laundering by Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi 

Simon Busuttil has called for a magisterial inquiry into alleged money laundering by Joseph Muscat's chief of staff, Keith Schemrbi and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi
Simon Busuttil has called for a magisterial inquiry into alleged money laundering by Joseph Muscat's chief of staff, Keith Schemrbi and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi

The courts have given Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and other high officials at the centre of money laundering allegations up until Thursday to formally respond to a court application by opposition leader Simon Busuttil that calls for a magisterial inquiry into potential money laundering.

Busuttil last week called for a magisterial inquiry against tourism minister Konrad Mizzi and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Keith Schembri over potential money laundering linked to their offshore Panama companies.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia today sent a copy of the writ to Muscat, Schembri, Mizzi, Nexia BT partners Brian Tonna and Karl Cini, former Allied managing director Adrian Hillman, and Kasco Ltd general manager Malcolm Scerri, giving them until this Thursday to respond to it.

A magisterial inquiry is already underway into allegations that the Prime Minister’s wife owns the offshore Panama company Egrant. Two other magistrates are separately investigating claims that Keith Schembri had taken kickbacks.

Mizzi reacted to the writ by reiterating that his company and New-Zealand based trust never held any bank accounts and never received any funds, while Schembri described the writ as “an unsustainable legal action and weak political attempt to save his political career.”