The United Arab Emirates has provided all the information requested by Maltese authorities in connection with investigations into the once secret company, 17 Black, PN MEP David Casa said on Tuesday.
In a statement, Casa revealed that he could confirm that Emirati authorities had satisfied requests by Maltese investigators and provided them with the necessary information.
“This information is crucial for the successful prosecutions related to all the corruption and money laundering that went through 17 Black, the secret company based in Dubai”, Casa said.
“I am informed that the last batch of requested information was sent last week, and therefore now the ball is in the court of the Maltese authorities to proceed with their investigations, in pursuit of justice”, he added.
17 Black was a company based in Dubai – the jewel in the United Arab Emirates – which belonged to Yorgen Fenech, businessman, former power station CEO, and the man now charged with masterminding the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
It, along with a second company named Macbridge, was named as the target client for the Panama companies belonging to former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri and former Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi.
17 Black and Macbridge were set to pay the equivalent of €5,000 per day each into these companies.
The identity of 17 Black’s owner was revealed in November 2018, while the identity of Macbridge’s owner was revealed on Monday, with the Times of Malta revealing that the company was owned by the mother-in-law of Chinese power station negotiator Cheng Chen.
In his statement, Casa said that he expects the information received by Maltese authorities to be used in the course of their investigations on corruption and money laundering related to the Electrogas power station.
“Last week we heard court testimony confirming details of the way Keith Schembri operated: by making millions from corruption, and then laundering that same money. Nobody doubts that what Keith Schembri did before leading Joseph Muscat’s office, he repeated and multiplied from public contracts, including the energy deal with Electrogas”, Casa, who forms part of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the Arab Peninsula, said.