An official at the Office of then prime minister Joseph Muscat was the fourth person to attend a contentious trip to Las Vegas that was funded by alleged Daphne Caruana Galizia murder conspirator Yorgen Fenech.  

Times of Malta is informed that Charlene Bianco Farrugia was the fourth person to attend the trip along with chief financial regulator Joe Cuschieri, and then gaming authority official Edwina Licari.  

The May 2018 trip to the luxurious Caesars Palace was funded by Fenech.  

Bianco Farrugia had served as personal assistant to former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri during Labour’s first administration. 

The new development comes as Cuschieri faces calls from the PN and civil society group Repubblikka to quit or be sacked over the trip, because of conflict of interest claims. 

At the time of the Las Vegas trip, she no longer worked directly for Schembri but was still an OPM staffer.  

Schembri has been implicated by Fenech as conspirator in the 2017 assassination of Caruana Galizia. He was taken in for questioning by police last year but has since been released.  

Attempts to contact Bianco Farrugia for comment were unsuccessful at the time of writing.

Charlene Bianco Farrugia and former OPM staffer Neville Gafa attending the swearing in of Prime Minister Robert Abela in January.Charlene Bianco Farrugia and former OPM staffer Neville Gafa attending the swearing in of Prime Minister Robert Abela in January.

Requested leave at the time

Sources at the OPM told Times of Malta that Bianco Farrugia had requested leave at the time of the trip but had not disclosed that she would be travelling with Fenech on his invitation.

Bianco Farrugia, who was seconded to the OPM from the state IT agency, returned to her original posting shortly after Robert Abela was sworn in back in January.

Prior to returning to her original posting she was promoted to lead government projects across several ministries. AT the time, her office remained on the same floor as former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Schembri.

Yorgen Fenech was outed as the owner of secret company 17 Black late in 2018 before he was arrested in connection with the murder of Caruana Galizia a year later. 

Contacted on Wednesday, Cuschieri confirmed he had gone on a trip to "one of the world's leading casino hotels", but insisted there was no conflict of interest or ethical breach.   

Earlier on Wednesday, Times of Malta reported that Cuschieri's successor at the gaming authority, Heathcliff Farrugia, was recently questioned by police over communication he had with Fenech.  

The Malta Financial Services Authority chairman, John Mamo, said he had no comment to make when asked to react to revelations that two of his staff members went on the trip funded by Fenech.

Times of Malta has also contacted Licari for comment. 

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