PN EP Head of Delegation David Casa has formally requested Europol to assist in obtaining and securing information related to 17 Black from the authorities in the United Arab Emirates.
Last month, the Daphne Project revealed the owner of 17 Black to be Yorgen Fenech, the director and shareholder of the ElectroGas power station.
In a letter to Catherine De Bolle, Executive Director of Europol, Casa said: “Published correspondence between the notorious Mossack Fonseca and Nexia BT, the financial advisory firm servicing persons at the highest levels of power in Malta, shows that the company 17 Black was to transfer €150,000 every month to Konrad Mizzi, the former Energy and present Tourism Minister and another €150,000 to Keith Schembri, the Maltese Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff.”
Leaked emails had shown that 17 Black was listed as a ‘target client’ for Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri’s Panama companies. Nexia BT, which set up the Panama companies, was involved in the power station evaluation committee.
“Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri were responsible for the ElectroGas power station project,” Casa wrote.
“Following a letter sent to Noor Bank in September this year, 17 Black’s activities were considered to be suspicious and the funds found in 17 Black’s bank account, amounting to €2 million, were frozen by Noor Bank.”
“This case is of particular importance, in view of the fact that investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galiza was working on the biggest data leak she had ever received when she was assassinated - 680,000 documents from the ElectroGas servers. Therefore, it is of the upmost importance that Europol works with UAE authorities in order to transfer the available data on 17 Black to the European and Maltese investigative authorities.”
Casa said that, due to the sensitivity and importance of this information, “it is essential that Europol ensures the security of this information and encourages cooperation between the UAE, itself, and the other proper authorities involved in the investigations into corruption in Malta and the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.”
“The evidence concerning 17 Black could have implications on the investigation into the assassination. In view of the fact that the persons in the 17 Black scandal are high-level politicians and their associates it is essential that European authorities involved in the investigation ensure that relevant evidence is requested and secured,” Casa told The Malta Independent.