Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1536815
6 NEWS 6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 25 JUNE 2025 Police present during Yorgen Fenech's arrest testify in Keith Schembri's sensitive information leaks case POLICE officers present during Yorgen Fenech's arrest at the Portomaso Marina testified during the compilation of evi- dence against Keith Schembri on Tues- day. The case involves Schembri's alleged leaking of information to alleged murder mastermind Yorgen Fenech. The former OPM chief of staff is also charged with perjury and breaking the Official Secrets Act. He was arraigned five years after the pardoned middleman in the Caruana Galizia murder case, Melvin Theuma stated that Schembri had kept the mur- der's alleged mastermind Yorgen Fenech up to date with developments of the po- lice investigation. Superintendent Kevin Pulis, who formed part of a task force back in No- vember 2019, took the stand. He ex- plained the details of the search and investigations carried out on Yorgen Fenech's boat 'Gio', as Fenech's arrest and the seizing of items were also men- tioned. He stated that the items seized from the yacht at prima facie glance, were those deemed to be relevant to the case. Such items included a laptop, Visa and Ameri- can Express cards, and Fenech's passport, which implied that Fenech was ready to flee. Pulis informed the court that Fenech was read out his rights and the reason for his arrest. Inspector Christopher Saliba also de- scribed his involvement as part of Pulis' team during the operation. Lawyer Jason Azzopardi asked the wit- ness to recall Fenech's reaction at the arrest. However, defence lawyer Edward Gatt intervened and reminded the court that all details being mentioned are in re- lation to Yorgen Fenech. "This does not have to do with Keith Schembri", he em- phasised. Magistrate Claire Zammit Stafrace herself questioned the relevance of the evidence in connection with Schembri's case. Gatt repeatedly asked the witnesses: "Was Keith Schembri's name featured on any of the documents elevated from the yacht?". The witness replied that at no point in time was Schembri's name men- tioned or seen written down anywhere. The sitting was adjourned to 22 Sep- tember at 12:00pm. Lawyers Mark Vassallo and Edward Gatt also appeared for Schembri. Super- intendent Hubert Cini and police inspec- tor Shaun Friggieri are prosecuting. Jason Azzopardi and Therese Comodini Cachia were parte civile. Former Office of the Prime Minister Chief of Staff Keith Schembri (Photo: James Bianchi/ No one in charge: Audit criticises gaps in Malta's climate resilience planning MALTA must significantly improve how it plans, funds, and implements its cli- mate change adaptation measures, ac- cording to a new performance audit pre- sented to Parliament by Auditor General Charles Deguara. The audit, titled Climate Change Ad- aptation – Evaluating Malta's Efforts Relating to Flooding and Sea Level Rise, highlights both progress and shortcom- ings in the country's response to cli- mate change. While recent steps signal a growing commitment, such as the enactment of the Climate Action Act and the creation of the Climate Action Authority, the re- port finds that adaptation strategies of- ten lack clear ownership, timelines, and measurable targets. The NAO found that major strategic documents, including the Malta Low Carbon Development Strategy and the National Energy and Climate Plan, do not clearly assign responsibility for ad- aptation measures or provide detailed implementation frameworks. Meanwhile, infrastructural and green- ing projects that could contribute to climate resilience were generally not backed by thorough climate-proofing assessments. The NAO also said that the second Flood Risk Management Plan stood out as a more effective model, with its measures systematically prioritised and monitored. The audit also noted that while pro- jects such as CARDIMED and Med- SeaRise have improved data collection and sea level risk assessment methods, there is still no estimate of how much adapting to climate change will cost Malta. A comprehensive Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (VRA), launched in 2021, has finally been completed and submitted to government in early 2025. The study is expected to guide future adaptation efforts and project planning. Despite contained impacts from past flooding events, the NAO warns that slow onset threats like sea level rise require far more sustained investment and involvement, including from the private sector. In line with recent European Commis- sion assessments, the NAO stressed the need for "stronger governance, timely action, and better coordination" across all public entities involved in climate adaptation. The full report is available on the NAO website (www.nao.gov.mt) and its Facebook page. NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt The report said the impact of flooding events was generally contained over the last decades but sea level rise might require greater investment