This website has received multiple unconfirmed reports that Keith Schembri, the ex-chief of staff of disgraced prime minister Joseph Muscat, is travelling out of Malta with his family. At the time of writing, they are reportedly waiting to travel out of Malta at the airport’s VIP area.
Keith Schembri is, according to the police, the subject of an investigation into his possible involvement in the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Though he was arrested on 7 December immediately after his resignation after the police suspected he guided Yorgen Fenech on how to avoid arrest and after Fenech’s arrest on how to pin the murder on cabinet minister Chris Cardona.
He was however released 72 hours later. The police at the time issued a statement saying they had no reason to hold Keith Schembri under arrest. This in spite of the fact that Yorgen Fenech implicated under oath Keith Schembri in the murder conspiracy while Melvin Theuma, co-conspirator pardoned by Joseph Muscat to turn state’s evidence, testified about meeting Keith Schembri the week he was instructed to organise the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
On 17th December an arrest warrant against Keith Schembri was issued by court order after he failed to appear to testify in a constitutional case filed by Yorgen Fenech. He later claimed he was not aware of the court case and went to court in the court’s officer’s car.
On 19th December chief investigator Inspector Keith Arnaud said in court that Keith Schembri was being investigated for homicide and tampering with evidence. However the police confirmed there were delays of several days for evidence to be collected from Keith Schembri’s offices and devices. Inspector Arnaud testified that Keith Schembri’s phone could not be inspected as when asked for it Keith Schembri had said he had lost it. Keith Schembri’s offices at the Labour Party headquarters have also been left untouched.
Since his release on 9 December, speculation has been rife that Keith Schembri has absconded the country. Periodically Keith Schembri made statements to deny his intention to leave the country.
In spite of the obvious flight risk the police are not believed to have issued any conditions on Keith Schembri under terms of any bail pending the murder investigation he is subject to.
Sources at the airport told this website Keith Schembri was seen in possession of his phone.