Schiavone to return to PN parliamentary group as executive committee absolves MP

Hermann Schiavone will be reinstated to the Nationalist parliamentary group, after the PN's executive committee decided the MP was not to be disciplined for meeting Tumas Group chairman Yorgen Fenech.

Delia ally Hermann Schiavone suspended himself to become an independent MP as hara-kiri for having brokered a meeting with a Tumas Group director back in April. At the time he was scheduled to meet the company official together with fellow MP Kristy Debono to seek sponsorship for a conference.

But the meeting ended up with magnate Yorgen Fenech, the reported owner of 17 Black in Dubai, a company linked to the secret Panama firms of Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri as an alleged channel of cash from other sources. The news became toxic for the PN.

In a statement, the PN said its ethics board had found no breach of instruction or party rules, and felt no more action was required.

The board concluded that with no bad intentions behind the meeting, this was a case of error of judgement, recommending prudence in such future situations. The board decision was communicated to the PN administrative council and executive committee.

In his resignation letter to Delia back in April, Schiavone had said Kristy Debono, the president of the PN general council, was unaware that she was about to meet Yorgen Fenech. Schiavone said that the conference was still at planning stage and this is why he did not feel the need to inform the party leader of the logistical arrangements. He asked the party to appoint a disciplinary board to investigate his actions.