A protest has been called for tomorrow at 6pm in front of Malta’s parliament in the wake of further major revelations of corruption and shocking testimonies in court.

Repubblika, #occupyjustice, and manueldelia.com called the protest demanding truth and justice. This will be the first major anti-corruption protest since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Malta.

They are demanding the launch of a joint investigation between Europol and Malta’s police in the Caruana Galizia assassination and the related corruption allegations; for politicians involved to shoulder political responsibility and resign or be removed; and for the Enemalta directors to also shoulder responsibility and provide a comprehensive account of the Enemalta-Montenegro wind farm deal.

“We call on all of Malta to take this moment to show that corruption has no place in our country,” Repubblika, #occupyjustice, and manueldelia.com  said in a statement.

The latest corruption revelations by Reuters and Times of Malta state that Cifidex, a company which Reuters said is owned by Azeri national and former Electrogas director Turab Musayev, had bought a Montenegrin wind farm for €2.9 million after receiving a loan from the main suspect in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder Yorgen Fenech. Cifidex then sold the farm to Enemalta for €10.3 million two weeks later.

It is alleged that Cifidex then repaid Fenech the loan, along with a further €4.6 million, with the money passing through Fenech’s company 17 Black, the Dubai-based company that was a target client for the Panamanian accounts of former Prime Minister’s chief of staff Keith Schembri and former Minister Konrad Mizzi.

Musayev has denied any wrongdoing and has said he had no reason to suspect Fenech had any involvement in Caruana Galizia’s murder.

He said Cifidex had its own independent management and that his business with Fenech involved due diligence from reputable and established bankers, accountants and lawyers.

A report by the FIAU found that 17 Black had received at least three payments – one of €161,000 from Maltese local agent for the tanker supplying gas to the LNG power station and two separate payments amounting to €1.1 million from Baratzada through ABLV Bank.

Photo credit: Jeremy Debattista

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