Ryan Schembri, the owner of the defunct More Supermarkets, transferred €25 million to a bank account in Dubai, Adrian ‘Tal-Maksar’ Agius claimed in a sworn statement to police. 

In court today, lawyer Francois Dalli, who is representing Darren Casha, one of Schembri’s alleged victims, revealed the detail upon cross-examination of Inspector Anthony Scerri. 

Agius, who has been charged in connection with the murder of More Supermarket creditor Carmel Chircop, will testify in the case. 

The lawyer also claimed that while the sales for More seemed to be in a good position, Casha later discovered that the money for the sales were actually going to Schembri’s own stores in foreign countries.

The court has now ordered that the Asset Recovery Bureau conduct a search for funds or assets belonging to either Schembri or his companies.

Schembri, who is the first cousin of former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri, amassed millions of debt while heading the supermarket chain, fleeing the country with his wife and son in 2014.

He has told the police that he was working to pay back his creditors. However, Scerri questioned Schembri’s intentions, given that no credit has been settled since he left Malta.

He said that while there was a point Schembri was strapped for cash, even selling a watch to gain some funds, this was no longer the case. 

The case will continue on 20th June. 

The chain and its debts have since been linked to the murder of Carmel Chircop, a lawyer who was shot dead outside his garage in Birkirkara in October 2015. 

Chircop has been confirmed to have lent Adrian Agius, and his business partner Ryan Schembri around €750,000 which was to be used to fund the More Supermarkets chain that Agius and Schembri were involved in. 

At the time of his murder, Chircop was chasing Agius for the remaining €600,000 that was owed to him. It remains to be seen whether Schembri will be asked to testify in the case and whether he could even potentially face charges. 

Adrian Agius, Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio have been charged with the murder after Vince Muscat turned state witness in the case.

Where do you think the money went?