[WATCH] Fenech files criminal report against George Farrugia over gift allegation

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech this morning made a statement to Police Commissioner John Rizzo over allegations that he received a gift from oil trader George Farrugia, the prime minister said.

Stopping for just one question after a visit he made at the Freeport, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi confirmed that Fenech has filed a criminal report against Labour MPs Chris Cardona and Evarist Bartolo, and also against George Farrugia - granted presidential pardon to turn State's evidence on the oil corruption case.

The decision to grant Farrugia presidential pardon was made by the Cabinet after the Prime Minister said he was ready to grant the pardon to whoever had information related to the oil corruption case.

One of the conditions of the pardon is that Farrugia must only tell the whole truth and only the truth.

"But above all, the most serious issue here is the involvement of Joe Cordina, the PL's financial administrator, in the corruption case," Gonzi told the press, insisting that Fenech never received any gifts from George Farrugia.

Gonzi went on to lambast Labour leader Joseph Muscat and his party for having dragged his family into the issues. "This hurts and it is disgusting," Gonzi said in regards to Muscat's statement that  the Prime Minister's own son, was guilty of corruption in the Maugeri foundation case, if the same yardstick used against Cordina is applied.  

"They couldn't sink any lower," the Prime Minister added.

However, Gonzi dodged questions on whether any of his Cabinet ministers where recieved gifts from Farrugia and instead focused on the accusations levelled against Labour's Joe Cordina.

Yesterday evening, PL MP Evarist Barolo said that Fenech's accusation that Cordina was responsible for any illegal activity in Aikon, would imply that the same level of wrongdoing on the part of Lawrence Gonzi's son David: a lawyer who was company secretary of a firm that took €15 million in laundered monies from the scandal-ridden Maugeri Foundation. David Gonzi had said he had no knowledge of the company's activities, which was a subsidiary of the firm he was company secretary for.

Speaking at the Freeport, Gonzi hailed the €145 million investment undertaken between 2008 and 2012 and a further €31 million earmarked for 2013.

Praising the Freeport's management for their foresight, Gonzi explained that current works at the Freeport will enable large ships which are currently being constructed to berth in Birzebuggia.

"This investment is a massive vote of confidence in the country by the private shareholders of the Malta Freeport and sends out a very encouraging message for the future," Gonzi said.

He added that while the country was facing a difficult future, "Malta is well prepared and if the country keeps taking sensible decisions we will remain successful."

Gonzi also expressed his admiration for the Freeport's workers and while reminding that the port achieved growth in the midst of a global recession, he said that the high levels of productivity of the workers enabled the Freeport to remain competitive.

Before visiting the construction of the new wing at the Freeport,  Gonzi was given a warm welcome  by workers in the canteen, where he chatted with them briefly over a coffee.