Accused money launderers paid more than €500,000 by Mt Carmel Hospital… so far

The Health Ministry is continuing to engage the services of Ennessee Ltd, an accountancy firm owned by Nigel and Mikaela Scerri, despite both facing serious money laundering charges in court.

Even though the accountancy firm is under a freezing order, the Health Ministry has been paying it over €20,000 monthly for “accounts and payroll duties” related to the mental health hospital. These monthly payments have continued through direct orders for years, which violates public procurement rules.

Information obtained by The Shift through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request shows that between June 2022 and last month, Ennesse Ltd was paid more than €500,000 in monthly payments, which increased from some €9,585 in June 2022 to a staggering €22,335 last February.

Why payments for the same accountancy services doubled in less than three years remains unclear.

Last month, The Shift reported that Ennesse Ltd was awarded direct orders to provide similar services to Mater Dei Hospital, as stated in the Government Gazette. However, Minister Abela later clarified that this was a mistake, and the company is currently only providing services at Mount Carmel through direct orders.

Abela acknowledged that the government continues to utilise Ennesse Ltd for its services at Mount Carmel despite the company facing money laundering charges. He mentioned that the ministry is preparing to issue a new tender, which has been on hold since May 2022, when Mount Carmel began making payments to Ennesse Ltd through direct orders.

At that time, Stephanie Xuereb was Mount Carmel’s CEO. She held the position during investigations into allegations of widespread overtime abuse by Paul Pace, the President of the Nurses Union (MUMN).

Pace has yet to face court charges despite incriminating evidence found against him by an internal board of the Health Ministry. Minister Abela replaced Xuereb with Roseanne Camilleri.

Nigel Scerri, his wife Mikaela, Ennesse Ltd, and several other companies owned by the couple from Swieqi were arraigned in court last January on various charges, including laundering €1.5 million. They pleaded not guilty. This court case was initiated after tax authorities flagged the couple’s extravagant lifestyle.

A tax department audit revealed that between 2016 and 2024, the couple acquired €12 million in property and maintained 26 bank accounts, some of which were offshore. Investigators also found that a €1 million loan used to fund real estate purchases was repaid within a year, raising further suspicions.

In 2023, Nigel Scerri attracted attention with a controversial proposal to donate prime real estate in Sliema to the Soup Kitchen Foundation for a social project to house abandoned youths. However, the project was later abandoned following opposition from neighbouring residents.

Shortly before his arraignment, Scerri resigned from his position on the Board of Directors of the DIZZ Group, led by Diane Izzo.