Keith Schembri companies file urgent court request to pay employees

Updated 2.20pm

Six companies owned by former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri have filed an urgent court application asking for permission to temporarily unfreeze their assets, saying they must pay salaries to 100 employees.

The application was filed on Saturday before Mr Justice Aaron Bugeja. The court was asked to consider the request as urgent, given that Tuesday is the end of the month and employees due to be paid their wages that day.

Firms belonging to Schembri had their assets frozen last Monday after a court issued an attachment order to that effect. The order listed 91 people and companies, including Schembri and his accountants at Nexia BT, Brian Tonna and Karl Cini, and ordered the freeze on the suspicion of money-laundering offences.

Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà on Friday confirmed that four people were arrested between Monday and Tuesday and that all four were granted police bail as investigations continue.

Schembri, Tonna, and Cini were arrested on suspicion of money laundering after their assets were frozen by court order following the conclusion of an inquiry into financial crimes. They were released on police bail after interrogation. The identity of the...