Mysterious flight from Malta to Baku: The Aliyev family in the center of another offshore scandal

Minister Konrad Mizzi and Office of the Prime Minister Chief of Staff Keith Schembri said they will be opening two more libel cases against journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia over fresh accusations she made on her blog to the effect that their Panamanian companies received large amounts funds from Azerbaijan.

The two new libel cases follow two others instituted by Mizzi and Schembri over related subject matter Mrs Caruana Galizia published on her blog last Saturday.

 Mrs Caruana Galizia alleged that, “A company owned by Leyla Aliyeva, one of the two daughters of Ilham Aliyev, ruler of Azerbaijan, transferred very large sums of money, described as “loan payments”, to Hearnville Inc [owned by Mizzi], Tillgate Inc [owned by Schembri] and Egrant Inc [owner unkown] last year.

Flight of April 21 to Baku adds to the mystery of the ongoing saga, as there are no direct flights between Malta and Azerbaijan. Aircraft enthusiasts who contacted The Malta Independent said that the flight was chartered, left Malta at around 4am and later landed in Baku.

Among the allegations made by Daphne Caruana Galizia, which are being refuted by the Prime Minister, is that one of the daughters of Azerbaijani leader, Leyla Alijeva, through an offshore company transferred huge sums of money to all the three companies named in the Panama Papers, and that she transferred USD 1.017 million to Egrant.

The plane later flew to Dubai.

James Leviton, on behalf of Vistajet’s PR firm Finsbury, was quoted by Malta Today as confirming the flight to Baku, but said there was no one aboard.

“I can confirm that there was a flight to Azerbaijan but it had no passengers or cargo. It was purely a ferry flight,” he was reported to have said.

After the Prime Minister’s press conference, the Nationalist Party media, Net, broadcast footage of the man identified to be the owner of Pilatus Bank, said to be an Iranian National named Seyed Ali Sadr Hasheminejad, together with another woman, said to be the risk manager also by blogger Caruana Galizia, leaving this evening with large bags.