Activist Group Repubblika Files Police Report Over Joseph Muscat’s €20,000 Bvlgari Watch Gift By Yorgen Fenech
A formal report addressing the Maltese Police Commissioner was filed today denouncing Prime Minister Joseph Muscat for alleged bribery, corruption, and having a conflict of interest.
The report, which was filed by Dr Jason Azzopardi on behalf of Maltese activist group Repubblika, comes after Lovin Malta revealed that Muscat had received a luxury Bvlgari watch from business magnate and murder suspect Yorgen Fenech as a gift.
It details how the gift was given during Christmas 2014, just weeks after the government had given an “unprecedented” €88 million state guarantee to cover a bank loan for Electrogas to build a new power station.
“The luxurious gift given by the main owner of Electrogas Ltd (Yorgen Fenech) in the period when the Leader of the Government was asked for the loan guarantee and from who he got the authorization for a bank guarantee of over €88 million (and that in 28th of May 2015 increased by another €22 million) amounts to a clear indication of a criminal act,” Azzopardi says in the filing.
“I also draw your attention to the number of the watch given by Yorgen Fenech to Joseph Muscat, number 17,” Azzopardi continued.
The Bvlgari watch
“I remind you that Fenech is the owner of the secret company 17 Black (incorporated in Dubai) that as you know in April 2018 the Economic Crimes Unit under you received a detailed report about from the Financial Intelligence Analysis Crimes Unit (FIAU) in regards to the laundering of money and bribery involving Fenech and former Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi and former Chief of Staff Keith Schembri,” he said.
“In light of this, my clients are denouncing Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Malta, of the crimes of bribery under articles 115(1(b) and 115(1)(c) of the Criminal Code, corruption under article 118 of the Criminal Code and of the crime of having a private interest in a public adjudication under article 124 and 125 of the Criminal Code,” the report ended.
The police report may increase pressure to officially investigate whether the luxury gift impacted Muscat’s decision making when it comes to decisions regarding Electrogas. It also comes after AD Leader Carmel Cacopardo called on the Standards Commissioner to investigate the gift and following condemnation from various politicians.
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