Jason Azzopardi Slams AG For Refusing To Publish Keith Schembri Passport Kickbacks Inquiry
PN MP and Simon Busuttil lawyer Jason Azzopardi has lambasted the recently appointed Attorney General, Victoria Buttigieg, for refusing to publish an inquiry report into allegations of kickbacks received by former OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri.
The inquiry related to allegations that Schembri had received kickbacks in the form of two payments of €50,000 each from Nexia BT’s Brian Tonna via Pilatus Bank on the sale of passports to a family of three Russians.
Former Opposition leader Simon Busuttil formally asked the Attorney General to provide him with a copy of a magisterial inquiry earlier this morning, after him and his lawyer Azzopardi found out that the inquiry had already been concluded for a number of days “by coincidence”.
However, Buttigieg wrote back notifying Busuttil that the inquiry had indeed been concluded but that she would be taking the decision not to publish the findings “at this stage”.
Busuttil has said the inquiry must be published in the public interest, whilst his lawyer Jason Azzopardi called out the double-standard, stating that Busuttil should be given a copy immediately, like former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had been given a copy of the Egrant inquiry report.
Meanwhile, the PN has also called for the immediate publication of the inquiry warning that the newly appointed AG would be making a grave error to follow in the “abusive” and “scandalous” footsteps of her predecessor Peter Grech.