Money laundering, corruption, and falsifying documents are among the long list of charges filed in court against Keith Schembri and his associates last week.

The former chief of staff at the Auberge de Castille was charged and taken into custody on Saturday after years of allegations of financial crime.

The police and state prosecutor were directed not to release the charges to the press, but Times of Malta has acquired a full list of the crimes Schembri and his business partners are alleged to have committed.

According to the charge sheet, Schembri, his father Alfio, his business partner Malcolm Scerri, and his accountant Robert Zammit face the main charge of money laundering.

This crime is 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.

Prosecutors also accuse them of offering monetary gifts to Vincent Buhagair and Adrian Hillman, both former managing directors of Allied Newspapers, publishers of Times of Malta.

The long list of offences includes giving false testimony to an inquiring magistrate, presenting falsified documents, and defrauding state entities Malta Enterprise and Customs Department.

The taxman was also allegedly presented with false documentation, as well as Bank of Valletta.

Financial advisory firm Zenith Finance Limited and its owners Matthew Pace and Lorraine Falzon also face money laundering charges and are accused of being accomplices in criminal activity.  

Pace was individually charged with having allegedly created or used falsified documents, including paperwork covering false financial investments.]

Five other people were also charged on Saturday. They are Nexia BT directors Brian Tonna, Karl Cini and Manuel Castagna, Nexia BT financial controller Katrin Carter Bondin and former Allied Newspapers managing director Vince Buhagiar. 

Charge sheets for those five were not available at the time of writing. 

What is Keith Schembri charged with?

Keith Schembri stands accused of:

1. Money laundering by:

* converting or transferring property when they knew or suspected that it had been acquired through criminal activity.

* Obscuring or misrepresenting any holdings when they knew or suspected it was derived from criminal activity.

* Acting as accomplices in the terms of article 42 of the Criminal Code in relation to one or more of the above charges.

The following companies also face those charges:
Kasco Holdings Limited, Kasco Limited, Kasco Engineering Company Limited, GSV Co Limited, Holdforth Limited, Malmos Limited, It’s Good Limited, Colson Services Limited, Selson Holding Corporation, Tekhne Industrial Limited, Berner Malta Limited, Thoughtzone Limited.

2. Associating
with people in Malta or overseas with the aim of committing a crime that carries a prison sentence.

3. Using or creating documents that contained false information, or incomplete information, with the premeditated intention of committing a crime.

4. Using illegal means, false names, details or untruths to try to mislead or create the impression of inexistent enterprises or business activity, or imaginary credit, and in so doing profiting to the detriment of Progress Press Company Limited and/or Malta Enterprise and/or other entities, in excess of €5,000.

5. Making profits to the detriment of Progress Press Company Limited and/or Malta Enterprise.

He faces charges 2, 3, 4 and 5 himself and in his capacity as director of Kasco Technical Services Limited, today Kasco Engineering Limited.

6. Corrupting Adrian Hillman, Vincent Buhagiar and/or others who administered corporate bodies or were employees of Allied Newspapers Limited and/or Progress Press Company Limited, giving them a gift or offer of pledge of a gift, or personal gain.

7. Making false declarations to public authorities by failing to declare all of their income to the tax commissioner.

He faces charges 6 and 7 alone as well as in his capacity as director of Kasco Technical Services Limited, today Kasco Engineering Limited, for offences dated between 2005 and 2019.

8. Giving false testimony in court before Magistrate Natasha Galea      Sciberras on September 11, 2018

9. Giving false declarations and/or presented false documents (on 11 September 2018 and preceding years)

10. Falsifiying a public document or commercial contract or private banking document through signatures, and/or created false agreements and/or obligations or a lack thereof ((on 11 September 2018 and preceding years)

11. Consciously making use of false documents.

Schembri's business partner Malcolm Scerri following his arraignment on Saturday. Photo: Matthew MirabelliSchembri's business partner Malcolm Scerri following his arraignment on Saturday. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

What charges are Alfio Schembri, Malcolm Scerri and Robert Zammit facing?

Alfio Schembri, Malcolm Scerri and Robert Zammit are accused of:

1. Money laundering by:

*converting or transferring property when they knew or suspected that it had been acquired through criminal activity.

* Obscuring or misrepresenting any holdings when they knew or suspected it was derived from criminal activity.

*Acting as accomplices in the terms of article 42 of the Criminal Code in relation to one or more of the above charges.

The following companies also face those charges:

Kasco Holdings Limited, Kasco Limited, Kasco Engineering Company Limited, GSV Co Limited, Holdforth Limited, Malmos Limited, It’s Good Limited, Colson Services Limited, Selson Holding Corporation, Tekhne Industrial Limited, Berner Malta Limited, Thoughtzone Limited.

2. Associating with people in Malta or overseas with the aim of committing a crime that carries a prison sentence.

3. Using or creating documents that contained false information, or incomplete information, with the premeditated intention of committing a crime.

4. Using illegal means, false names, details or untruths to try to mislead or create the impression of inexistent enterprises or business activity, or imaginary credit, and in so doing profiting to the detriment of Progress Press Company Limited and/or Malta Enterprise and/or other entities, in excess of €5,000.

5. Made profits to the detriment of Progress Press Company Limited and/or Malta Enterprise.

They face charges 2, 3, 4 and 5 themselves and in their capacity as directors or managers of Kasco Technical Services Limited, today Kasco Engineering Limited.

Robert Zammit is also accused of having:

• Violated his professional duty as an accountant or auditor, acts which amount to dishonesty and a grievous failure (in 2019 and previous years).

• Made false declarations or statements by producing back-dated invoices and documents to Customs and/or Malta Enterprise and/or Bank of Valletta (in 2018 and previous years)

Malcolm Scerri is accused of:

Corrupting Adrian Hillman, Vincent Buhagiar and/or others who administered corporate bodies or were employees of Allied Newspapers Limited and/or Progress Press Company Limited, giving them a gift or offer of pledge of a gift, or personal gain

Made false declarations to public authorities by failing to declare all of their income to the tax commissioner.

He faces these charges alone as well as in his capacity as director of Kasco Technical Services Limited, today Kasco Engineering Limited, for offences dated between 2005 and 2019.

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