17 Black: developments expected after transfer of information from Dubai to Malta

"Maltese authorities have no further excuses - arraign those involved in money laundering now.” - David Casa

Maltese authorities, investigating 17 Black, should be able to make progress now that the United Arab Emirates has transferred the long-awaited evidence through official channels. This is an important and crucial development in the investigation relating to corruption and money laundering.

Member of the European Parliament David Casa has been made aware that the requested information was handed over to Malta’s Embassy in the UAE on 22 November 2020. So far, Maltese authorities have stayed silent on this important development.

“Over two years ago, investigative journalists revealed that the owner of the Dubai-based secret company 17 Black is one of the main shareholders of Malta’s power station and had planned to send kickbacks to persons at the highest levels of the Maltese government. Despite the overwhelming evidence of corruption and money laundering in the public domain, Maltese authorities always blamed a lack of progress in prosecutions on an ‘uncooperative Dubai’. Over the past two years, I have made repeated and sustained efforts to reach out to the authorities in the UAE."

"I can now confirm that the information requested has been transferred. This means that the Maltese authorities have no further excuses to sleep on the investigation. I expect those involved in the high level corruption and money laundering connected to 17 Black to be brought to justice without delay,” insisted David Casa, who forms part of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the Arab Peninsula.

An email acquired and published by investigative journalists showed that Panamanian companies belonging to Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi were to receive €5,000 each, on a daily basis, from 17 Black, i.e. from the shareholder of the Power Station, who is now being accused of being the mastermind of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination.

Just last week, former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat confirmed that he had full knowledge of the business relationship between his Chief of Staff Keith Schembri and Yorgen Fenech through 17 Black.

“The complete impunity for the corruption connected to 17 Black has had severe consequences for Malta’s reputation which has in turn impacted our financial sector and the livelihoods that depend on it. The necessary action must not be delayed any longer,” Quaestor Casa concluded.