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3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 AUGUST 2021 NEWS Thank you... for having bought this newspaper mt The good news is that we're not raising the price of our newspaper We know times are still hard, but we have pledged to keep giving our readers quality news they deserve, without making you pay more for it. So thank you, for making it your MaltaToday Support your favourite newspaper with a special offer on online subscriptions. Visit bit.ly/2X9csmr or scan the QR code Same-day delivery by Miller Distributors is at €1 for orders up to 5 news- papers per address. Email your order, name, address and contact num- ber to production@millermalta.com, and forward cheques payable to Miller Distributors Ltd on address Miller House, Airport Way, Tarxien Road, Luqa LQA1914 Subscribe from €1.15 a week Same-day delivery from Miller Distributors CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Yet Muscat still entertained a cordial relationship with Fenech, inviting him to his birthday par- ty at Girgenti in February 2019, according to him on instruction by the Malta Security Service to maintain a façade of normality. Muscat has denied inquiring with Fenech about the Theuma 'chats'. But at this stage his chief of staff Keith Schembri had ac- cess to MSS briefings about Fenech, his own business part- ner as it were. In April 2019, an Italian finan- cier, Mirko Albertazzi, recom- mended banks in Monaco as well as in Qatar and the Baha- mas for Fenech to deposit the 17 Black cheques. At this time, when Fenech was already under investigation, he sent two cheques for a total of AED 6.5 million, through Mo- hammed Shahzad Mohammad Ishaq in Dubai, to the Exolvo company in Monaco, for the at- tention of Albertazzi. But when Albertazzi realised that the banks would not open an account for Fenech due to a Europol report with banks, he informed a mutual connection - the Maltese businessman Paul Hili - that Fenech risked arrest if he went to the UAE. Albertazzi described Fenech's position as "very delicate" in a conversation he had with Hili, after a French banker informed him about the Europol report. He told Hili that Fenech was be- ing investigated directly by Eu- ropol on "some crimes, not only financial ones". Albertazzi even said his con- tacts suggested he break off contact with Fenech. Instead, he said that he inquired with the CEO of Banca Generali in Milan about Fenech's situation, who had told him he would resolve the matter. "Yorgen will give him a little tip when everything will be done," Albertazzi told Hili. "Trust me Paul, it is a great work and favour you are doing to Yorgen." When in May 2019, Hili re- layed Albertazzi's information, Fenech was said to have replied in disbelief at news of Europol's interest in him. Court revelations Yet the sullied image of the Tumas magnate has only turned worse in court, with revelations of Fenech having actively en- tertained dark web purchases for weapons and even cyanide poison. In August 2020, police inspector Kurt Zahra testified in the compilation of evidence pro- ceedings that Fenech was being investigated for attempting to import cyanide from a Ukraine- based laboratory. Fenech active- ly made dark web inquiries on the acquisition of weapons and even a grenade. Shortly after the Reuters/ Times of Malta revelations of 17 Black being owned by Fenech, the businessman attempted to purchase an automatic rifle, a pistol, and hand grenades. When in November 2019, the middleman for Fenech and the Caruana Galizia assassins, Melvin Theuma was arrested, Fenech was actively seeking a way of escaping from Mal- ta together with his uncle, Ray Fenech, and his brother Franco Fenech as well as his mother. The plans included flying out to Nice by private jet, or sailing out to Sicily where he would be picked up by his brother to drive up to Europe. Fenech then chatted with the PM's chief of staff Keith Schem- bri on Signal, the night before his arrest as he left Portomaso ma- rina aboard his yacht. Spooked by news of a pardon for Melvin Theuma, Fenech asked whether police would be knocking on his door, for which Schembri reas- sured that nothing would hap- pen and to keep calm. While Yorgen Fenech's law- yers have objected to the rele- vance of some of the chats be- ing displayed in court during constitutional proceedings over the refusal of bail for Fenech, prosecuting inspector Keith Ar- naud said their relevance lies in the active plan for Fenech's ab- sconding. Lawyer Therese Comodini Cachia, on behalf of the Caruana Galizia family, described it as "a whole plan" to move abroad, de- tailing the houses seen and the potential schools for Fenech's children. Other chats were those from Ray Fenech, informing his nephew that a certain 'Ivan from the Times' informed him that journalists from the newspaper were on their way to Portomaso, since they got wind of Yorgen's impending departure by yacht. Fenech was arrested on 20 November 2019 as his yacht ex- ited from the Portomaso mari- na. The arrest came hours after middleman Theuma was grant- ed a presidential pardon. January 2019 Yorgen Fenech scouts for banks that will take cash extracted from 17 Black bank account February 2019 Yorgen Fenech is invited to Girgenti birthday bash by then prime minister Joseph Muscat. Fenech claims Muscat inquired about the Melvin Theuma 'tapes', Muscat has denied this claim March 2019 Paul Hili puts Fenech in touch with Mirko Al- bertazzi April 2019 Albertazzi's Mona- co company receives 17 Black cash in two cheques sent by a Dubai associate May 2019 Albertazzi tells Hili that banks have refused cash becuase Europol is investigat- ing Yorgen Fenech Banker tried to get Fenech's 17 Black millions a new home Albertazzi described Fenech's position as "very delicate" in a conversation with Hili, saying Fenech was being investigated directly by Europe on "some crimes, not only financial ones"