Amidst a series of controversies involving the allocation of public land to major developers, the wife of Lands Minister Silvio Schembri has launched a property development company.

Deandra Schembri, acting as the sole director, founded DZF Ltd, which is focused on property speculation and construction.

According to a report by The Shift the company’s registration took place at the couple’s residence in Luqa and was filed at the Malta Business Registry (MBR) last year. Deandra Schembri, who also holds the position of the regulator’s chief legal officer, exclusively owns DZF Ltd.

The concerning aspect of this situation lies in the revelation that while the Lands Minister’s name does not appear on the company’s documents, he actually owns half of the firm through the community of acquests with his wife. This information has been substantiated by the Lands Minister’s declaration of assets.

Schembril reportedly refrained from confirming whether he has sought guidance from the prime minister regarding the potential conflict of interest, as stipulated by the ministerial code of ethics.

Meanwhile, Malta Today reported that, in answer to their question, a spokesperson for the minister said that there is no connection between the company and any government-owned land, and that there is no conflict of interest with the Minister’s work.