Keith Schembri offered resignation when reports on his health emerged, Muscat says

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said yesterday that his Chief of Staff Keith Schembri offered his resignation when reports in the media emerged about his illhealth.

Replying to questions by The Malta Independent, Dr Muscat said that Schembri had told him he wanted to leave at the time he was facing health issues.

This is a different reason to that given by Keith Schembri in a round robin email, in which Schembri did not mention his illness, but said that he offered to resign because he did not want to be a distraction from the work being carried out by the government. He said he had offered to resign more than once but the PM had always turned these offers down.

While addressing a press conference at MCAST campus in Paola, Dr Muscat was asked to explain why he felt the need to keep Schembri on board. He brushed off any claims that Schembri was kept on the team because of their close friendship. “When someone needs support, you don’t throw him away.”

Referring to what he is describing “selective leaks” from the FIAU reports, Dr Muscat accused The Malta Independent of twisting the facts and handpicking parts of the reports.

The Malta Independent has published damning FIAU reports proving there were kickbacks to Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri from the LNG tanker project, and kickbacks to Mizzi from the privatisation of Enemalta.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat also clarified that the €130 million yearly budget for the manifesto does not include the €700 million for road works.

He said that the PN leader is saying that he will not go on with the works on Vitals Group Healthcare, but warned that this would not be ideal. “Believe me, there were contracts which needed to be thorn from the previous administration. I didn’t do it because for me, Malta comes first for me not partisan politics.”