Updated | Anthony Debono interrogated by police over Gozo free construction case

Anthony Debono, the husband of former Gozo minister Giovanna Debono, was interrogated by police over his alleged involvement in the Gozo free construction case.

Sunday newspaper It-Torca reports that on Tuesday, nearly two months after an exclusive MaltaToday report revealed how Gozo were offered free construction, paid by the ministry. Contrary to initial reports, Nationalist MP Giovanna Debono was not subjected to the police's interrogation, but merely accompanied her husband to his summoning at the police headquarters.

The outcome of the investigation is still unknown.

On Sunday, PN leader Simon Busuttil made no mention of the investigation or the former Gozo minister. To date, Busuttil has repeatedly stood by Debono after the latter denied allegations of impropriety, and claimed that the claims were being used for partisan politics and for “Joseph Muscat’s ulterior motives.

“She has spent her life working for the PN and I won’t kick her out just because Muscat spoke about it in some Labour band club. I will act depending on the results of a police investigation and on whether people end up charged in court in relation to the case,” Busuttil said during Monday’s edition of Reporter.

The investigation follows a MaltaToday report in which a whistleblower revealed that Anthony Debono, the husband of former Gozo minister Giovanna Debono, commissioned private contractors to carry out works for constituents, provided them with construction material and covered their costs from the budget of the Gozo ministry.

The report saw police question several government officials while police sealed the Public Works Department in Victoria to ensure that no documents or materials are moved out.

Three Gozitan contractors have since come forward to substantiate claims that they were asked to carry out construction work for private residences or businesses by the Ministry of Gozo.

Another Gozitan contractor turned whistleblower also revealed that he had emailed PN Secretary General Chris Said of the ‘work for votes’ for which he has not been paid. The email was one of the many pleas he has been making for payment for €50,000 in works commissioned by the Gozo ministry for private constituents

Moreover, Gozo minister Anton Refalo admitted to have been aware of a whistelblower’s claims of being commissioned to carry out free construction works for Gozo constituents. Refalo said that the case was then passed onto to the police in order to be ascertained.