Prime Minister’s chief of staff takes €100,000 in kickbacks on sale of Maltese citizenship to three Russians

Published: April 26, 2017 at 12:01am

This evening the leader of the Opposition called a press conference which gave the details on the story I published last night. I wasn’t sorry to be scooped on this, and that I wasn’t able to give the details myself.

If I had published those details, the trolls and Holocaust-deniers would have been out in force, saying “Show us the proof”. But because it’s the Opposition leader, it carries more weight, and so they don’t.

These are the details. Brian Tonna, the corrupt accountant who set up companies in Panama for the Castille Gang, received €166,831 in referral fees on the sale of Maltese citizenship to three Russians, and immediately kicked back €100,000 to the Prime Minister’s chief of staff.

Tonna received the money into an account at Pilatus Bank held by his once-top-secret British Virgin Islands company, Willerby Trade Inc. An internal transfer was then made to Keith Schembri’s account at the same bank.

The reason given for the transfer, as per the bank records, was “loan payment”. “Loan payment” is also the reason listed for the transfers from Al Sahra FZCO’s (UBO – Leyla Aliyeva) account at Pilatus Bank to accounts held at Dubai banks by Egrant Inc, Tillgate Inc and Hearnville Inc, the Panama companies at the centre of the storm.

Simon Busuttil pointed out that this is a criminal act – because, this being Malta, you have to tell people what crimes are because otherwise they might think it’s business or commission – and said that Schembri should be arrested that same night for questioning on money-laundering and corruption, and arraigned in court tomorrow.

And the Prime Minister, he said, should be questioned by the police about possible complicity, but step down before that. Muscat is not fit for political life, he said.

Keith Schembri, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff

Corrupt accountant Brian Tonna, who began setting up companies in Panama for key government figures just days after they came to power.