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| name = Keith Schembri
| name = Keith Schembri
| office = Chief of Staff (Office of the Prime Minister)
| office = Chief of Staff (Office of the Prime Minister)
| image =
| image = Keith schembri copy.png.jpg
| caption = Keith Schembri in 2017
| term_start = March 11, 2013 <!-- this is when Muscat took office -->
| term_start = March 11, 2013 <!-- this is when Muscat took office -->
| term_end = November 26, 2019
| term_end = November 26, 2019

Revision as of 23:29, 3 December 2019

Keith Schembri
File:Keith schembri copy.png.jpg
Keith Schembri in 2017
Chief of Staff (Office of the Prime Minister)
In office
March 11, 2013 – November 26, 2019
Prime MinisterJoseph Muscat
Personal details
Born (1975-07-26) 26 July 1975 (age 49)
Cospicua, Malta
Political partyLabour Party

Keith Schembri (born in Cospicua, 26 July 1975) is a Maltese businessman and politician. He served as Chief of Staff to Maltese Labour Prime minister Joseph Muscat from 2013 to November 26, 2019.

Schembri resigned on 26 November 2019 in relation to the murder investigation of Daphne Caruana Galizia[1].

Biography

In 1996 Schembri established Kasco Holdings, a group of companies providing various services and products within the fields of graphic art and engineering.[2] The group's flagship company is Kasco Paper.[3] Kasco manages the marketing for Pasta Rummo in Malta. [4]

Schembri first set up an offshore shell company in January 2011.[5] The setting up of trusts and offshore companies is quite common in Malta especially when one considers that the economy depends on financial services.[6]

Schembri managed the 2013 electoral campaign that saw the Labour Party elected with the largest margin of victory in Malta since its independence.[7]

The opposition Nationalist Party owed Kasco, Keith Schembri's company €121,000,[8] as they were unable to finance their daily newspaper immediately prior to the last general election.[9] Kasco had to intervene to help Allied Newspapers, publishers of the Times of Malta, to finance their investments and keep the company afloat.[10] His intervention can be viewed as saving the Nationalist Party's ability to convey its own message during an election campaign.[8]

In June 2015, Schembri purchased Panama companies from the Mossack Fonseca-related firm ATC Administrators Inc, respectively named Hearnville Inc and Tillgate Inc.[5] Schembri asked the audit firm Nexia BT (Mossack Fonseca franchise in Malta), which already audited the accounts of his companies in the Kasco Group,[5] to help him set up a New Zealand trust and associated company. Konrad Mizzi also used Nexia for this purpose; he says Schembri suggested an overseas trust and brought him to Nexia.[11] Rotorua, Mizzi's trust, and Haast, the trust created for Schembri. are both run by Orion Trust (New Zealand). Under New Zealand law, the trusts pay no tax on foreign earnings; New Zealand regulators may demand this information, but do not disclose it to other governments.[5] Mossack flagged both Schembri and Mizzi as politically exposed persons due to their roles in the Maltese government,[5] and noted "some negative coverage regarding the tender process for supply of paper to the government," and also concerns about the level of compensation received by Mizzi's wife.[5] FPB Bank of Panama refused to open accounts for the two, judging them potential corruption risks.[5][12][13][14]

Schembri was one of the Maltese individuals mentioned in the initial Panama Papers leaks in April 2016, together with then Minister for Energy and Health Konrad Mizzi. These revelations led to calls for Schembri's resignation from government.[15][16] However since Schembri was not an elected official, this motion was later amended to censure the Prime Minister, under whose employ Schembri falls.[16]

In July 2016 Schembri won a libel case against the Nationalist Party's newspaper In-Nazzjon over an article which alleged that Mr Schembri knew the whereabouts of a man who ran away from Malta due to debt problems. The newspaper was ordered to pay him €5,000 in damages.[17]

Involvement in the Caruana Galizia murder investigation

Prominent Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech was arrested on 20 November 2019 in connection with the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder. Schembri resigned his government post on 26 November 2019, and was subsequently arrested by the police for questioning.[18][19] Schembri was later released by police.[20] Yorgen Fenech, in his court statement, accused Schembri of being the masterming behind the Caruana Galizia murder.[21] Schembri is also accused to have tried to influence Fenech in order to frame Chris Cardona as responsible for the murder of Caruana Galizia.[22]

References

  1. ^ "Keith Schembri resigns as OPM Chief of Staff". Times of Malta. 26 Nov 2019. Retrieved 26 Nov 2019.
  2. ^ "Kasco". Kasco website. Kasco Holdings. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  3. ^ Schembri, Keith (22 May 2016). "Keith Schembri says he wants to 'set the record straight'". Times of Malta. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  4. ^ Corriere di Malta
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Panama Papers - Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri wanted to open Dubai bank account". MaltaToday.com.mt. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  6. ^ "Panama Papers: Former PN minister Ninu Zammit, MFA President, Louis Farrugia on list". The Malta Independent. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  7. ^ "Labour claims largest majority ever in post-independence history". MaltaToday. 10 March 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  8. ^ a b "OPM refuses PN letter addressed to Kasco Ltd; PN says Schembri embarrassed to accept cheque - The Malta Independent". www.independent.com.mt. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  9. ^ "Busuttil proposes commission to lift PN out of financial crisis - The Malta Independent". www.independent.com.mt. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  10. ^ Ltd, Allied Newspapers. "Keith Schembri says he wants to 'set the record straight'". Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  11. ^ "Panama, Konrad Mizzi, Azerbaijan, trusts…". Times of Malta. March 13, 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  12. ^ "AD Demands Immediate Suspension Of Keith Schembri - Alternattiva Demokratika". alternattiva.org. Retrieved 8 April 2016.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "Updated: Keith Schembri to file libel proceedings against Busuttil; PN 'will not be intimidated' - The Malta Independent". independent.com.mt. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  14. ^ Allied Newspapers Ltd. "No answers forthcoming from Prime Minister's chief of staff Keith Schembri". Times of Malta. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  15. ^ "Marlene Farrugia tables no confidence motion in Keith Schembri". Times of Malta. 16 May 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  16. ^ a b Grech, Helena (24 May 2016). "Opposition's motion on Speaker's ruling defeated - 35 against, 30 in favour". The Malta Independent. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  17. ^ "Keith Schembri wins libel case against PN newspaper, In-Nazzjon ordered to pay €5,000; PN reacts - The Malta Independent". www.independent.com.mt. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  18. ^ "Malta Caruana murder: Resignations spark government crisis". BBC. 26 November 2019.
  19. ^ "Keith Schembri under arrest, along with Yorgen Fenech's doctor". The Times of Malta. 27 November 2019. 'I don't think we know exactly whether he is being questioned or what he is being questioned about, so let's take it one step at a time', [the PM] said"
  20. ^ Malta Independent
  21. ^ The Guardian
  22. ^ Lovin Malta
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