Paul Apap Bologna ‘lied’ to Electrogas inquiry, hid ownership of secret company
Financial investigators accused Apap Bologna of ‘misleading’ the magistrate with his testimony
A businessman involved in the Electrogas power station deal “lied” to the criminal inquiry and failed to reveal his ownership of an offshore company suspected to be part of the corruption scheme.
The inquiry into the deal highlighted how Paul Apap Bologna neglected to mention his ownership of a United Arab Emirates company called Kittiwake when called to testify.
Kittiwake is suspected to have been part of a web of companies involved in the corrupt scheme to pass on payments to ex-government officials Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi.
A financial investigator further accused Apap Bologna of having “lied” to the magistrate when he claimed to have no knowledge about 17 Black, another offshore company owned by Yorgen Fenech, Apap Bologna’s business partner in the Electrogas power station deal. Schembri, Mizzi, Fenech and Apap Bologna have all been charged with corruption over the power station deal. They deny the charges.
When summoned to testify in the inquiry, Apap Bologna said the Electrogas board asked Fenech if he owned 17 Black, to which Fenech replied “no”.
“They were allegations, so we’ve asked him, as a board, we did the right thing and asked him, and with his reply, we left it at that,” Apap Bologna testified.
Times of Malta and Reuters revealed Fenech’s ownership of the company in 2018.
Questioned if he ever personally discussed 17 Black with Fenech following the press reports, Apap Bologna told the inquiry that he doesn’t really read “social media”, and doesn’t instigate a discussion on something which may not be corroborated or factual.
Financial investigators accused Apap Bologna of “misleading” the magistrate with his testimony, as his own company Kittiwake, had carried out a $100,000 transaction with a company affiliated with 17 Black.
“Knowing, as he must have, of the transfer that occurred between Yorgen Fenech’s company, 17 Black, with his UAE company, Kittiwake… Paul Apap Bologna appears to have intentionally misled the inquiring magistrate…
“My belief is that Paul Apap Bologna was completely aware of the fact that Yorgen Fenech was the owner of 17 Black and that he participated in corrupt deals together with Yorgen Fenech,” a financial investigator wrote in the inquiry.
Investigators allege 17 Black acted as a hub to pass on corrupt payments to Schembri and Mizzi from the Electrogas deal.
Times of Malta outed Apap Bologna’s ownership of Kittiwake in 2021.
The revelations led to his resignation from the Electrogas board.
He has however, steadfastly refused to publicly confirm he owns Kittiwake.
When summoned to testify before a parliamentary committee on the Electrogas deal, Apap Bologna continuously cited his right to silence and refused to answer.