Keith Schembri’s lawyers said on Tuesday that their client will not take part in the interrogation process until the conclusions of a magisterial inquiry on alleged kickbacks are made public.

Schembri is currently under arrest and is being interrogated at the police headquarters.

His arrest, along with that of Nexia BT’s Brian Tonna and Karl Cini, came after a court ordered the freezing of their assets, as well as the assets of several other individuals and companies over possible money laundering.

The decree came just days after the conclusion of a magisterial inquiry into claims that Schembri, took a €100,000 kickback, from Tonna, on passport sales. The conclusions of the inquiry are not yet known.

Lawyers Edward Gatt and Mark Vassallo entered the police headquarters at around 2.30pm and gave comment to the press when they left, around an hour later.

“Basically, we are insisting that the police tell us what the conclusions of the inquiry were, as to whether it was true or not there were kickbacks,” Gatt said. 

“We are insisting that the truth is made public and we are also insisting that they disclose what the conclusions of the inquiring magistrate were. Before these conclusions are made public, we are not going to participate in the interrogation process.”

Asked if Schembri was still insisting that the €100,000 were related to a loan repayment, Gatt said: “My client testified within the acts of the inquiry. From now on, what is important is not what my client said. What is important are the conclusions made by the magistrate.”

Asked whether charges will be issued, Gatt said this question should be put to the Commissioner of Police.

 

Video: Giuseppe Attard