The first link to Malta in the recent Russian spy ring scandal uncovered in the UK was that the conspirators were alleged to have used the word ‘Malta’ to establish their identities when contacting each other.

But now a further link to Malta has been found.

The woman at the centre of one of the most intriguing spying scandals since the Cold War, worked for a person with a Maltese surname as his personal assistant.

Anna Chapman, one of 10 suspected Russian spies charged in the US, in 2005 was the personal assistant of Nicholas Camilleri, chief executive of the Mayfair-based hedge fund company Navigator Asset Management Advisers, reported The Guardian yesterday.

Wayne Sharpe, 53, executive chairman and founder of Bartercard, a trading exchange firm, said he met Chapman, 28, a number of times during 2005 at social gatherings. She was allegedly taken to parties at Annabel’s nightclub attended by businessmen including the private equity billionaire Vincent Tchenguiz, and Philip Green, who owns some of the UK’s largest retailers.

“She was in that set well and truly by being at Nick’s side until the wee hours of the morning,” said Sharpe.

“She was one of many intelligent Russian women who worked with Nicholas. It was always hard to determine what she did in his business, but she was very intelligent, attractive, personable and very articulate in English. She certainly was a great networker. She constantly ingratiated herself with all of the high-end businessmen Nicholas introduced her to.”

Mr Camilleri told The Guardian he found it hard to picture the 23-year-old girl he employed as a PA in 2005 as a Russian spy.

“She was a ‘green, wet behind the ears’ type of girl,” he said. “She came across as having none of those sorts of spying-type aspirations, so I can’t see how she developed them later.”

Camilleri said that although Chapman was married when she worked for him, she never spoke of her husband and he never met him. “She was just an ordinary girl. She had nothing of any consequence about her. She was quite a quiet person.”

He said that he did not introduce Chapman to Green, but added: “I go out every single night of the week and had many PAs before, during and after her. How could I remember who I took where and when?”