Keith Schembri Breaks Silence, Casting a Disturbing Glimpse of Politics Past

Strategic Insights -

Malta's former Joseph Muscat fixer, Keith Schembri, has been largely absent from public view since his resignation in 2019 amidst the Labour government's scandalous crisis. However, last week, he broke his silence on Ricky Caruana's podcast, where he fished for sympathy and shed light on his pending cases. Despite avoiding talk about the bribery, corruption, and money laundering charges against him, Schembri conveniently highlighted the freezing orders on his wealth and that of his family. He also implied that he is still a Labourite, stating that he is helping Prime Minister Robert Abela and will do his utmost for Labour to win the next election. Furthermore, Schembri claimed that he is a sounding box for people's complaints, advocating for changes to Malta's tax regime and suggesting that he is still in the thick of things.

Key Takeaways:

  • Keith Schembri avoided discussing his pending bribery, corruption, and money laundering cases on the podcast, instead focusing on complaining about the freezing orders on his wealth.
  • He claimed to be a Labourite and is helping Prime Minister Robert Abela, stating that he will do his utmost for Labour to win the next election.
  • Schembri described himself as a sounding box for people's complaints, offering advice on Malta's tax regime and advocating for the creation of a bi-partisan agreement on a mass transportation system.
  • He mentioned that he is in contact with Labour MPs Robert Abela, Amanda Spiteri Grech, and Clyde Caruana, and is helping them with various proposals.
  • Schembri declared that he is "still here" and implied that he still has political relevance to the Labour party.

Statistics:

  • Schembri faced several criminal charges in separate cases, range from bribery to corruption, to money laundering and leaking of sensitive information related to the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
  • The freezing orders on his wealth and that of his family were mentioned several times during the podcast.
  • Schembri suggested that he would be willing to help Labour win the next election with a 20,000-vote margin or a 30,000-vote margin if they take care of their own voters.
  • Schembri prophesied that Labour would win the next election if they strengthen their core vote and "neutralise the antis".
  • The podcast lasted for 80 minutes, with Schembri sharing his wisdom on various topics, including politics, tax reform, and people's complaints.

Sources:

  • MaltaToday - "Schembri breaks his silence: the full transcript of his 80-minute podcast with Ricky Caruana"