Keith Schembri, former Chief of Staff of the Maltese Prime Minister, is accused of money laundering and corruption. His legal team has requested that forensic expert Samuel Sittlington, Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa, and former Deputy Commissioner Alexandra Mamo testify to clarify alleged negotiations for consultancy services during the investigation. The defense calls into question the expert’s independence, further complicating an already contentious trial.

Key Points

• Keith Schembri, former Chief of Staff of the Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat, questions the impartiality of forensic expert Samuel Sittlington in a multi-million euro money laundering case.
• Schembri and business associates are accused of laundering €4.66 million in a printing press deal linked to Progress Press. Allegedly, they paid the money in backhanders to Adrian Hillman and Vince Buhagiar, former managing directors of Allied Newspapers.
• Additionally, Schembri is involved in separate legal proceedings concerning the Vitals hospitals’ privatization deal.
• Allegations arise over Sittlington’s negotiations with the Police Commissioner for paid consultancy services during his investigation.

Short Narrative

Keith Schembri, ex-chief of staff to Malta’s former prime minister, his father Alfio, business partner Malcolm Scerri, accountant Robert Zammit, and a number of Schembri’s companies are accused of financial crimes in relation to the sale of printing machines to Progress Press. They were charged in March 2021, pleading not guilty to all the charges. Schembri was arrested in 2021 but later released on bail.

Allegedly, €4.66 million were paid in backhanders to Adrian Hillman and Vince Buhagiar, two former managing directors of Allied Newspapers, the parent company of Progress Press, and publishers of Times of Malta. They are also facing court proceedings.

Schembri, former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, and other high-profile individuals are also charged over their alleged involvement in the now-annulled Vitals hospitals’ privatization deal.

The forensic expert, Samuel Sittlington, was appointed in 2020 and testified as a prosecution witness in both the Vitals case and the Progress Press case. After Sittlington finished testifying on Thursday, Schembri filed an urgent application challenging the impartiality of Sittlington.

In their filing, Schembri’s legal team raised concerns over communications between forensic expert Samuel Sittlington and the Maltese Police Commissioner, where the expert was allegedly in talks for a lucrative consulting deal while investigating Schembri’s case. This development adds a new layer of controversy to a high-profile case that already includes charges against Schembri, his business associates, and top media executives.

Actionable Insight

This case underscores the need for transparency and clear boundaries between investigators and public officials in financial crime cases. The potential conflict of interest raised by Schembri’s legal team could shift the case’s direction, highlighting risks in forensic oversight.

Call for Information

If you have any information about money laundering or corruption in Malta or other jurisdictions, please report it to us via our whistleblower system, Whistle42.