Johann Schembri who runs and owns a large part of the Dragonara business empire and other related companies is not very well known, although he is probably one of the richest men in Malta. He likes keeping a low profile as he moves around with his bodyguard, but in reality, Johann Schembri has a very large responsibility in running the many companies related to the Dragonara complex apart from running other gaming companies that provide similar services and are undoubtedly, intertwined with his overall business strategy of strengthening and consolidating all of his holdings and business.
He would like us to believe that employing Joseph Muscat with one of his gaming companies had nothing to do with the government’s corrupt lease to the Dragonara casino. Maybe, he should also make the same statement about Pierre Portelli, and while at it, explain why he had so much risk with too many PEPs in his companies.
Johann Schembri lives in Wardija, in a sprawling villa he developed illegally on ODZ land. The villa had multiple illegalities which were mostly sanctioned and they dated as back as 2006. You can see some of them here, here, here, and here. The government even took the trouble to construct a road for him which he co-joined with his villa, and a private road of his own. His villa and land are circled in black, with the public road in red and his private road in the blue section.
As you can see in the picture, the red road, which was asphalted at the government’s expense, leads directly to his house, connected with his private road. Originally, the Saint Paul’s Bay Local Council was against many of the developments related to this villa, and its illegalities were also reported by the neighbours, but as one can imagine, Johann Schembri always had his way.
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