The Malta Independent on Sunday
Police Commissioner silent on whether Yorgen Fenech has been questioned in connection with 17 Black
Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar has remained silent on whether Yorgen Fenech has been questioned in connection with 17 Black, having failed to answer questions sent by The Malta Independent on Sunday regarding assertions Fenech made when contacted by a Swedish news outlet. When Fenech was questioned by the Swedish media house Dagens Nyheter (DN) about 17 Black in relation to an investigation the newspaper was carrying out into the ownership structures of several iGaming companies which target Sweden, he said that the revelations related to his role in the company were “speculation that lacks evidence”.
“I have never been questioned or been asked to be interrogated by the police or any other law enforcement authority throughout my life,” Fenech said, although he did not confirm or deny the claims that he is the owner of the controversial company.
“I do not know of any police investigation in my case”, Fenech is reported to have told DN.
In the light of this statement, this newsroom sent questions to Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar on 15 February asking the following: Is Fenech’s statement true? Is Yorgen Fenech under investigation by the police with regard to 17 Black?
Given that there a magisterial inquiry has been opened concerning this subject, according to Minister Owen Bonnici, since before last November – over four months ago – how is it that Yorgen Fenech has not been questioned by the police yet?
While the questions were acknowledged as having been received, no reply was forthcoming from the Commissioner at the time of writing.
Yorgen Fenech’s name came under the spotlight last November, when Reuters and the Times of Malta reported that he was the owner of the Dubaibased company 17 Black. The company was named as one of two that would pay $2 million to the Panama companies belonging to government minister Konrad Mizzi and the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Keith Schembri.
Besides being the CEO of Tumas Group – Yorgen Fenech is also the director of Electrogas, the firm which operated Malta’s new gas-fired power station. The power station was a key electoral pledge in Labour’s campaign to take government in 2013 and was under Konrad Mizzi’s remit when he was Energy Minister.
Days after this revelation, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici addressed Parliament, saying that a magisterial inquiry, whose sole focus was 17 Black, had been opened weeks before the revelations on the company’s ownership were published.
The inquiry, which was requested by the Police Force, was opened some weeks prior to the revelations and was – at the time – ongoing, Bonnici said on 19 November last year, and being led by Magistrate Charmaine Galea.