Julian Hofstra, the Dutch national linked to alleged recordings of state witness Melvin Theuma and the Dalligate scandal, also had a relationship with disgraced former minister Konrad Mizzi. 

A photo sent to Lovin Malta shows Hofstra (centre) with Mizzi, then-Air Malta CEO Clifford Chetcuti, and then-Air Malta Chairman Charles Mangion at the Malta International Airport.

At the time, Hofstra was on the run in Malta from Dutch investigators over his involvement in a marketing affiliate email scam. 

Well-informed sources said that Mizzi was unaware of Hofstra’s links to Dalligate and the alleged recordings. However, it seems that, at the time, Hofstra was able to move through Malta’s airport freely despite being subject to an arrest warrant.

Mizzi, at the time, was Malta’s Tourism Minister and was directly responsible for Air Malta. He was made to resign in disgrace following the arrests of Theuma and Yorgen Fenech in connection with the assassination.

“I do not know what the man looks like. I have no recollection of meeting him,” Mizzi told Lovin Malta.

Mizzi continued to deny any knowledge of Hofstra despite being shown the photo.

“I had many pictures of me taken in different environments. I have no recollection though,” he continued.

Mizzi was forced out following years of corruption allegations linked to Fenech, namely the Panama Papers scandal and the ElectroGas deal.  He was later made to resign from the Labour Party after revelations of a Fenech-linked Enemalta purchase of a Montenegrin windfarm.  He is still a sitting MP.

Hofstra eventually fled Malta in October 2019. He was arrested in Denmark in November 2019 and was extradited to the Netherlands. He is now an inmate within an Amsterdam prison.

Since then, Lovin Malta has revealed that police and lawyers of Yorgen Fenech have been scrambling to gain access to recordings and other evidence allegedly in Hofstra’s possession. 

Sources have suggested that the recordings allegedly show Theuma detailing Schembri’s involvement in the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and his fears that Fenech and Schembri were planning to murder him. It remains to be seen whether these claims will prove correct.

Hofstra and Theuma allegedly met when the former was a resident at the Hilton Hotel, owned by Yorgen Fenech’s Tumas Group, where Theuma worked as a taxi driver. Sources claim Theuma approached Hofstra after learning of his alleged links to the Dalligate scandal.

Meanwhile, Lovin Malta has also revealed that police are exploring Hofstra’s links to former EU Commissioner John Dalli and his former aide Silvio Zammit.

Well-informed sources have told Lovin Malta that Hofstra’s connections to Zammit and Dalli could relate to an investigation into an alleged €60 million bribe offer from a Swedish tobacco/Snus company linked to the two men. 

Zammit allegedly met Hofstra by the end of 2015, at the Maltco offices in Sliema, when he was around 16-years-old. Sources claimed that Hofstra assisted in changing timestamps of email exchanges that took place between 2013 and 2015.

Zammit has confirmed that he did in fact know Hofstra but denies the claims.

Lovin Malta has since revealed that a warrant has been issued to bring Hofstra to Malta. Sources said that Hofstra will be brought to Malta to face interrogation and court testimony. Hofstra could potentially even face criminal charges when he comes down to Malta, but this is yet to be confirmed.

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