Kenneth Camilleri, the infamous former OPM security official, has allegedly told police that Keith Schembri ordered him to meet Melvin Theuma to ‘calm him down’. However, he claims it the state witness who brought up a plot to arrange bail for the men charged with assassinating journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Quoting sources, Malta Today claims Camilleri has told police that Schembri first told him to meet Theuma sometime in 2018, following the arrests of Vince Muscat, George Degiorgio, and Alfred Degiorgio. He reportedly said that Schembri contacted him over WhatsApp and told him to “calm [Theuma] down”.

Camilleri allegedly claims that he then drove to Zurrieq with Johann Cremona, the confidante of Theuma and business partner of main suspect Yorgen Fenech, to meet Theuma. However, Camilleri claims that it was Theuma who brought up the plot to arrange bail for the Degiorgio brothers.

“Camilleri said that as soon as Theuma told him that, he panicked, claiming he had no idea Theuma was going to talk to him about the Degiorgio brothers. He said he tried calling Schembri, but he hung up on him as he was in a meeting,” sources told Malta Today.

Theuma has said under oath that it was Camilleri who said that the men would soon get bail and they would need  €1 million each, which is echoed in secret recordings.

Meanwhile, Theuma claims that he believes Camilleri took a phone call with Schembri during the meeting. However, this cannot be confirmed.

Camilleri has confirmed to the public inquiry into the assassination that he met with Theuma on four occasions. However, he told the court that he never told Schembri he was meeting Theuma. 

In separate testimonies, Johann Cremona confirmed at least three meetings between Camilleri and Theuma.

Cremona said that sometime in June 2018, he received a call from Camilleri who wanted to meet with Theuma.

Cremona and Camilleri went to Theuma’s home. Theuma and Camilleri had the meeting on their own, while Cremona went to meet his father. This was when the bail plot was first raised.

He also confirmed that the next day, Camilleri visited him and Theuma while they were at Cremona’s property in Qormi. There he brought out a piece of paper with three mobile numbers written on it, one of which was his [Theuma’s] old mobile number.

A third meeting took place in Valletta two days later. Cremona heard Theuma tell Camilleri “sort out bail for them” [irranġalhom għall bail], but that’s all.

Schembri and Camilleri remain under criminal investigation for their alleged role in the murder or its cover-up. Fenech claims that it was Schembri who masterminded the plot. Meanwhile, both Fenech and doctor-come-messenger Adrian Vella have said that Schembri passed on messages while the former was under police bail. These letters allegedly form part of a plot to frame former minister Chris Cardona.

Schembri has trouble elsewhere. He is currently out on police bail over money-laundering allegations involving kickbacks from the investment-for-citizenship scheme launched under former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

Last Monday, assets of Schembri, as well as over 100 companies, individuals and even young children, were frozen.

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