Schembri faces court action over unpaid taxes

Tista’ taqra dan l-artiklu bil-Malti hawn.

Keith Schembri, the chief of staff of disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat, is to face court action unless he settles a bill of over €134,000, according to a judicial letter filed by the Commissioner for Revenue.

Schembri was given two days to settle a tax bill dating back to 2012, court documents show. Between 2013 and 2019, Schembri served as chief of staff at the office of the prime minister.

The bill seems to not have been settled. In a more recent judicial letter dated 26 May, presented in the first hall of the civil court and addressed to Schembri’s residence in Mellieħa, the Tax Commissioner warned Schembri that his failure to comply with the law and settle the pending bill would result in court procedures to recoup unpaid taxes.

Keith Schembri tax

An excerpt from the judicial letter of 26 May addressed to Keith Schembri.

The Shift is informed that in September 2020 then-tax commissioner Marvin Gaerty had already sent a tax assessment to Schembri covering the period 2012 to 2019.

According to the assessment, Schembri had failed to pay all taxes due in 2012, 2014 and 2019.

Apart from some €74,000 in pending additional taxes, the tax department asked Schembri to pay an additional €60,000 in interest payments.

Despite the Tax Commissioner’s alert in 2020, the government only initiated formal proceedings against the former OPM Chief of Staff after Schembri resigned his post in November 2019.

Schembri is currently facing separate criminal proceedings in court over alleged corruption, fraud and other criminal activities involving a multi-million-euro ‘investment’ made by Progress Press, publishers of The Times of Malta.

Among his alleged accomplices, also facing criminal proceedings, are Adrian Hillman, Vince Buhagiar and Michel Rizzo, all three former managing directors of Allied Newspapers, as well as Schembri’s associates at his Kasco Group of Companies and the shareholders of accounting firm Nexia BT, Brian Tonna and Karl Cini.

                           

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12 Comments
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Francis Said
Francis Said
2 years ago

The chickens are coming home to roost.

Joseph Micallef
Joseph Micallef
2 years ago
Reply to  Francis Said

Gaerty only found his balls after Muscat resigned

Mariatheresa Micallef
Mariatheresa Micallef
2 years ago
Reply to  Francis Said

Will they ever really !

Greed
Greed
2 years ago
Reply to  Francis Said

Millionaire muskrat will pay it for him maybe?

Mary Rose
Mary Rose
2 years ago

This is a perfect strategy for alienation. KS will be charged for and made to pay what is actually due in taxes. The Gahans would think that he had paid his dues…..and bye bye charges on the corrupted deals, potential involvement in murder/s, money laundering, fraud, etc. etc.

carlos
carlos
2 years ago

Take it easy- YOU CORRUPT LOT.

Paul Bonello
Paul Bonello
2 years ago

We allow PEPs the liberty to pay tax at their heart’s content whilst we trrrorise ordinary citizens who miss payment on due dates. This is Malta’s interpretation of the rule of law and the maxim that the law is equal for all.

Mick
Mick
2 years ago

Nothing will happen, he will cite the freezing of his bank accounts as a reason for no payment and will then get access to his accounts! This is Mafialand evrythinh is a big facade

KLAUS
KLAUS
2 years ago

He didn’t even pay his taxes properly? Not even that?
Such a pathetic thing?

There should be no such thing. Someone who receives a generous salary from the state, who then deprives it of its fair share.

Who else from the Parliament or Government (except ROBBER Abela)?

Last edited 2 years ago by KLAUS
makjavel
makjavel
2 years ago

It is all a Farce for the Labour Trolls to charge their ” Let the Institutions Work” expletives. The money laundering that destroyed the Times of Malta is nowhere in the list. Neither the foreign secret accounts that both he , Konrad and Egrant opened. A bomb in a car surely silenced all and sundry except a few courageous civilians, who brought Muscat down , but not yet out because the Police Commissioners and AG’s have been neutered. So were the tax authorities and the Printed Media .Thanks for the Internet Media for keeping exposing the dark side of the Government and friends.

Alfred Tonna
Alfred Tonna
2 years ago

When the time comes, someone will eventually, unknowingly of course, come up with a “technical” mistake and everything will be settled with a tap on the shoulder and an utterance in the way of “sorry for the inconvenience, have a nice day”. And that would be it, all done and dusted.

Manuel Mangani
2 years ago

”Despite the Tax Commissioner’s alert in 2020, the government only initiated formal proceedings against the former OPM Chief of Staff after Schembri resigned his post in November 2019.”

Does the above make any sense?

In any case, kudos to the Shiftnews for breaking this story. Good to know Mr.Schembri is no longer considered to be above the law.

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