A legal advisor to the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) who also sits on the board of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit accompanied former Malta Gaming Authority chief (and current MFSA CEO) Joe Cuschieri on a trip to Las Vegas organised by Yorgen Fenech.

The Malta Independent is informed that lawyer Edwina Licari was also a part of the delegation, together with other, so far unnamed individuals. At the time of the trip, Licari was a senior official at the gaming authority.

Questions sent to Licari on Wednesday remain unanswered.

On Wednesday, Times of Malta reported that Cuschieri travelled to Las Vegas with Fenech, who stands currently accused of masterminding the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, in 2018.

At the time, he was transitioning from the MGA to the MFSA. His flights were paid for by Fenech, while the accommodation was paid for by the hotel – Caesar’s Palace.

Cuschieri confirmed the existence of the trip to the Times of Malta but said that there was no conflict of interest or ethical breach.

He said he had been invited by Fenech to attend the trip as the former regulator of the gaming sector. "At the time Mr Fenech was considering undertaking an investment and I was invited to advise on regulatory matters,” Cuschieri said.

Speaking to The Malta Independent later, Cuschieri said he was not paid anything for the advice he gave. When asked, he did not elaborate on what type of advice provided, saying that "it is inappropriate for me to disclose commercially sensitive information."

The trip took place before Fenech was outed as the owner of 17 Black, and well before he was charged with masterminding the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia in November 2019.

He added that since he no longer served as the head of the gaming regulator at the time of the trip, he saw no conflict of interest in it. 

The Nationalist Party has called on Prime Minister Robert Abela to dismiss Cuschieri, who was appointed at the MFSA during the Joseph Muscat administration.