Adrian Delia backs out of protest after realising ‘rebel’ MPs will not walk with him

This morning Pierre Portelli a former content director at The Independent informed PN leader Adrian Delia that many Nationalist MPs were refusing to turn up at the designated meeting point at 3.30pm next to the Independence monument.   

The WhatsApp group seen by MaltaToday reveals messages from Nationalist MPs insisting that they would make their own plans for attending the protest organised by Civil society network.

Over the last two days several Nationalist MPs had agreed that they would not walk with their leader Adrian Delia and would make it a point to attend the protest but keep a safe distance from Delia.

Marlene Farrugia, in a Facebook post this afternoon, called on Delia to resign before he inflicted more damage to Malta and the Nationalist Party.

Delia has been criticised by Daphne Caruana Galizia for his links to offshore companies and his business interests.  

During the same period MaltaToday had also carried in depth investigative stories on some of Delia’s business history and client base, with reports on UK police investigations into links with London brothels and these offshore companies.

In turn Delia had lashed out at Caruana Galizia inferring that she was a hate monger and ‘a sort of journalist’ (biċċa ġurnalist). 

He also opened five defamation cases against her allegations, which he later decided to withdraw after her murder in a bomb blast last Monday.

Only this afternoon, The Malta Independent online portal where Pierre Portelli was until two months ago Content director carried a short announcement that Delia would not be participating in the Civil society network protest to be held this afternoon.  

All political parties have said they will attend.  But Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced on One Radio that he would not be attending as he felt that he was not welcome and did not wish to provoke any reaction. 

Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne will attend in his stead.