‘I will publish evidence if Muscat continues to challenge me’ - Busuttil
Nationalist Party Leader Simon Busuttil yesterday told the media that if Prime Minister continues to challenge the validity of his evidence, he would not hesitate to publish the documentation.
He was speaking to journalists outside the courthouse, shortly after going to Magistrate Aaron Bugeja with eight box files of evidence on the alleged payments by Adrian Hillman to Keith Schembri, amounting to more than €650,000. Both Schembri and the former Times managing director deny the accusations.
“I have said many times that I felt it was my responsibility to present this evidence in court. However, if the Prime Minister continues to challenge me and deny that the evidence is correct, I will not hesitate to publish it,” Busuttil said.
Dr Busuttil spent two hours before the magistrate before speaking to the press waiting outside. He said the files he presented contained all the details of all the transactions that were made by Keith Schembri or one of his companies to Adrian Hillman or his companies.
Asked about comments made by the PM that he (Busuttil) was rehashing a story from a year ago in order to keep the momentum of corruption going, Dr Busuttil replied that the difference between the two situations is that now he has proof. “The difference between what we knew last year and what I said two days ago is this: proof, I got proof, and I never spoke about it until I had proof.
It was in the media, with allegations here and there,” he said.
“What I announced this week had been said before, but today, the fact that I know I have proof and presented it to the Magistrate, is another story.
“The evidence which I provided, which arrived in eight box files, show a detailed evidence of the transactions that happened, originating either from Keith Schembri or companies or accounts of Keith Schembri and which ended up either at Adrian Hillman or Lester Holdings,” he said. He described the documents he presented as ‘undeniable evidence’.
“The Magistrate kept the evidence and I have a lot of trust in Magistrate Bugeja who is going through the evidence in detail and will arrive at his own conclusion, which I will bow my head down to,” he said. On the other hand, once again Dr Busuttil said he had no confidence in the police commissioner.
Dr Busuttil emphasised repeatedly that it is, “not normal that it is the Leader of the Opposition to be doing this,” and appealed to the Maltese to vote anti-corruption on 3 June.
In the meantime, Mr Schembri has refused to release any evidence relating to alleged payments he made to Mr Hillman and alleged kickbacks he received from Nexia BT’s Brian Tonna.
Mr Schembri, responding to questions emailed by this newsroom about any potential business he had with Mr Hillman, any potential gifts, and whether he is willing to publish any invoices / evidence pertaining to the latest allegations, and those allegations regarding Brian Tonna said: “The matter you are enquiring about concerns private business carried out prior to my entry into public office, which business is documented, declared and tax paid thereon.
“Your paper has covered the issue extensively last year (referring to articles this newsroom published in relation to the Panama Papers). Allied Newspapers have also commissioned an Internal Inquiry which for reasons known only to them, they have chosen not to publish.”
The issue, Mr Schembri also said, is now before a Magistrate, “with whom I shall collaborate in full to expose the witch hunt being carried out by Simon Busuttil for dangerous partisan purposes.”
The Malta Independent also asked Mr Schembri whether he would again accept to be the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff if PL Leader Joseph Muscat wins the coming election and were to ask him to serve.
“I think it would be premature to speculate especially before the Maltese people have declared themselves with their vote on the 3rd of June. Any and all decisions that may be taken about a new Government are all subservient to the supreme will of the people expressed through their vote.”
PM Joseph Muscat has constantly refused to tell the electorate whether he intends to appoint Keith Schembri as his Chief of Staff if he wins the election.
Dr Muscat told this newspaper yesterday that he doesn’t believe that allegations on Schembri and Hillman have anything to do with government business.
“Its private business and it is prior to Keith Schembri being my Chief of Staff. I believe it was duly investigate by the Times. In fact The Times found nothing wrong in an inquiry by Judge Bonello so I think they have all the facts and should publish those facts.”
Police back at Nexia BT offices
In another related development Nexia BT employees were yesterday locked out in the presence of the police as two magisterial investigations continued.
Magistrate Aaron Bugeja is conducting an inquiry into allegations that Egrant company, opened in Panama on instructions by Nexia, belongs to Michelle Muscat. Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras is holding an inquiry into allegations that Keith Schembri took kickbacks from Brian Tonna, with the money coming from the IIP scheme.
This was the second time in a few weeks that Nexia BT employees were locked out of their offices as investigations were taking place.