Keith Schembri’s claims that he coordinated the FBI’s involvement in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation have been rubbished in open court, raising serious concerns whether the former Prime Minister’s chief of staff may have committed perjury.

Superintendent George Cremona, who is the Head of the Counter-Terrorism Unit & Criminal Intelligence Unit, confirmed extensive Lovin Malta reports on the issue during today’s sitting of the public inquiry into the murder.

He revealed to the board that he had started contacting foreign experts from around 4.30pm on October 16, 2017. Lovin Malta previously reported how Cremona called the FBI’s attaché in Rome to coordinate their involvement. Former Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar has also rubbished Schembri’s claims.

The FBI played a crucial role in the investigation, triangulating phone signals to identify the three men charged with carrying out the assassination, George Degiorgio, Alfred Degiorgio, and Vince Muscat.

On 18th December 2019, Schembri said that he was the one to coordinate the FBI’s involvement in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation during the constitutional case instituted by murder suspect Yorgen Fenech’s to remove Chief Homicide Inspector Keith Arnaud from the investigation.

“[I brought people in to help with the case] Like the FBI, for example. After Ms Caruana Galizia was killed, within the first 20-25 minutes, I told the Prime Minister that I will speak to the US Embassy to find out what assistance they can offer.”

“The Prime Minister said from day one that he will leave no stone unturned. We spoke to the US embassy, and I made that call. They informed me that FBI officials were in Rome and told me that, if I made the necessary arrangements, they could arrive in Malta the next morning,” Schembri said.

Schembri remains under investigation for his potential involvement in the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, along with a litany of other offences which include:

Tampering with evidence, leaking extensive information about the investigation, obstructing justice, and acquiring a phantom job for middleman Melvin Theuma.

Yorgen Fenech has described a “fraternal” relationship with Schembri to the courts and says Schembri was the real mastermind of the murder. Schembri has even confirmed under oath that they were friends and had also holidayed together on occasion.

Schembri was most recently arrested in connection to a money-laundering investigation linked to alleged kickbacks from the citizenship-by-investment scheme. He is currently out on police bail.

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