The compilation of evidence against More Supermarket boss Ryan Schembri has been deferred to 11 May, with more details expected on his money laundering and fraud charges.

Schembri, cousin to former chief of staff Keith Schembri, had fled the country in 2014 with a reported €40 million in debts left behind from the More Supermarkets crash. 

He is believed to have borrowed large sums of money from entrepreneurs, before finding he was unable to pay back the loans, originally intended for an ambitious import-export operation.

Schembri is in quarantine in prison because of Covid-19. His quarantine ends on 2 May.

The court case is being heard by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech.

As boss of the bankrupt More supermarket chain, Schembri could be connected to the supermarket debt that led to the murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop. Chircop had been one of the ‘investors’ in the mysterious More Supermarkets bust. The lawyer had loaned €750,000 to More Supermarkets in March 2014.

Schembri had initially fled to Dubai, where he lived with partner Aviva Ryan. It was initially impossible to extradite him from the UAE, due to the fact that there is no extradition treaty between the two countries. No charges were filed against him at that time.

At some point after that, the couple subsequently moved to London, and later to Scotland, living under the radar.

Schembri was arrested in Scotland last week. The breakthrough in the case came when UK authorities had informed their Maltese counterparts that Schembri had been fined for speeding there. This had led to an investigation by the Maltese police which found evidence showing that Schembri resided in the United Kingdom and had bank accounts, as well as a partner there. 

He was arrested on the strength of a European Arrest Warrant that had been issued by Interpol some years back. Maltese police were present in Scotland for the arrest.