Updated | Gaffarena reacts to Fenech Adami: ‘Remember when you needed my help?’

Facebook comment signed by Mark Gaffarena

Statements given by PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami on the number of times he had met businessmen Joe and Mark Gaffarena have raised the ire of the latter, who has turned to Facebook accusing the PN MP of “lying”.

During a press conference on Friday afternoon, Fenech Adami confirmed that he had met the Gaffarenas but could not exactly remember when and where.

“Yes I met them … I think once at a reception, but it was in a casual manner,” he said, adding that “yes of course I knew them … everyone knows who they are”.

Asked how many times he had met them, Fenech Adami said he couldn’t remember.

Yet, according to Mark Gaffarena, the two had met several times and were more than just acquaintances.

“Have you forgotten how many times I gave you a lift to your home in Gharghur before you were even a PN candidate? Have you forgotten the number of times we sat and ate round the same table? Have you forgotten how much we drank at Villa Arrigo a year ago?”

Gaffarena also said that he had engaged Fenech Adami’s wife as his notary and Fenech Adami had allegedly sought his help when he had “problems with a person”.

But in a reaction to MaltaToday, Fenech Adami stood by his original comments, insisting that he had met Mark Gaffarena “casually”.

“I absolutely have no idea what he’s talking about,” Fenech Adami said over Gaffarena’s claims that he used to drive him home and how they had dined together. He also he had no idea what Gaffarena meant by his claim that Fenech Adami had requested his help. 

Fenech Adami remembered that the Villa Arrigo event was a social event organised last year for Saviour Attard's 60th birthday. Attard is Gaffarena’s father-in-law. Fenech Adami added that in the past he had attended another birthday bash thrown by Attard, this time in Haz-Zebbug.

“I wasn’t yet a member of parliament when my wife did some notary work for him. It was over 11 years ago,” he said, adding that his wife had worked on seven property contracts with a combined value of circa Lm100,000.

Fenech Adami added that “once, some 20 years ago, Gaffarena had talked to me about a small case he had before the rural leases control board”.

The deputy leader went on to comment that “what’s certain is that Gaffarena never got any good deals from me”.

“We were definitely were no 'close buddies' because, when he didn’t get his permit for the petrol station, he turned to the Labour Party,” he said, adding that Gaffarena never spoke to him about permits. "The truth is that he wanted the permit for the petrol station and that says it all."

Clarification: Saviour Attard is not a director or shareholder of Attrans Ltd and does not represent the company in any way. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted.