Updated: Alleged blackmailer gave Rita Schembri 24 hours 'to redeem herself'

The permanent secretary at the Internal Audit and Investigation Department was given 24 hours ‘to redeem herself’ by the man who is being charged with blackmailing her, a court heard today. Joseph Borg, from Swieqi was denied bail last Saturday, after he was charged with sending a defamatory e-mail in which he allegedly attempted to blackmail Ms Schembri, herself at the centre of an investigation. Taking the witness stand, Ms Schembri, who is also a member on the supervisory committee of OLAF said she filed a police report on the case on November 21. She said she was working in Brussels and, in between meetings, checked her email. Ms Schembri said she was forwarded an email  from Mr Borg from the generic mailbox of her department. The e-mail said: “Rita I'm giving you 24 hours to redeem yourself of all previous michevious conduct before I pass all the details to Olaf.” She said that she had an issue with Mr Borg in the Civil Courts. He had filed two cases, which were decided in 2006 and 2009 regarding a restaurant she and her husband rented from him in 1995. Ms Schembri said that, in 1998, her husband decided to slow down and they found two Nigerian partners to help out. In 2009...