David Casa has written to the UAE Ambassador in Brussels asking his government to cooperate more on the 17 Black bank account allegedly used to pay Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi bribes from Yorgen Fenech of Tumas Group and the Electrogas consortium.
In his Egrant inquiry report, Magistrate Aaron Bugeja lamented he got no response from Dubai authorities about inquiries he made there. The UAE has been blacklisted by the European Parliament because of its lack of cooperation when investigators chasing laundered money or tax evasion into the Emirates find a blank wall of secrecy instead.
David Casa’s amendments criticising the UAE and demanding its cooperation in the 17 Black affair were included in yesterday’s European Parliament anti-tax fraud resolution that was supported by the overwhelming majority of Parliamentarians.
In his letter to the Emirati government, David Casa reminds them the 17 Black case is “of great importance to the European Parliament not least because there could be implications into the assassination of a journalist” referring to Daphne Caruana Galizia who was investigating the 17 Black connection with Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri when she was assassinated in October 2017.
“We are committed to monitoring developments on the 17 Black scandal and will take further action if deemed necessary,” David Casa concludes.
