The authorities are still awaiting information on whether former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri has any financial holdings in Switzerland, more than two years after sending an official request.
In 2020, the attorney general drafted what are known as letters rogatory requesting any information held by Swiss banking and financial services authorities on possible holdings by Schembri.
The matter was raised on Friday morning during a sitting in proceedings against Schembri, who stands accused of money laundering, criminal conspiracy, fraud and forgery.
During the sitting, the prosecution said that although the request had been sent out while an inquiry into Schembri was still active, no reply had yet been received.
Switzerland has some of the world’s strictest banking secrecy laws with specific legislation making it a criminal offence to divulge information.
Schembri denies having ever held financial assets in Switzerland.
The former chief of staff at the Auberge de Castille was charged and taken into custody in March 2021 after years of allegations of financial crime.
The charges against Schembri are pegged against what is known as the predicate offence – the underlying crime – which in this case is corruption in the private sector of Allied Newspapers and Progress Press.
The former chief of staff at the Auberge de Castille was charged and taken into custody in March 2021 after years of allegations of financial crime
Schembri is charged along with his father Alfio, his business partner Malcolm Scerri, and his accountant Robert Zammit.
They are believed to have offered monetary gifts to Vincent Buhagiar and Adrian Hillman, both former managing directors of Allied Newspapers.
In the latest twist to the case, the prosecution informed the court that they wish to include testimony of other players in the alleged racket.
These include the financial advisory firm Zenith Finance Limited and its owners Matthew Pace and Lorraine Falzon who separately face money laundering charges and are accused of being accomplices in criminal activity.
Nexia BT directors Brian Tonna, Karl Cini and Manuel Castagna, Nexia BT financial controller Katrin Carter Bondin and former Allied Newspapers managing director Vincent Buhagiar were also named by the prosecution to testify against Schembri.
Legal sources said this may present a delay in the case against Schembri as all these witnesses will likely only testify once the cases against them are concluded.
The likelihood, they said, would be that the matter would be raised before the constitutional court, which would present a new delay for the case against Schembri.
On the flip side, the testimony is deemed “essential” to the case by prosecutors, other sources said.