Intershore directors sue Minister Tonio Fenech for libel

The directors of fiduciary company Intershore Limited, a company currently implicated in the Enemalta corruption scandal, have sued Minister Tonio Fenech for libel.

Intershore Fiduciary Services Limited is the nominee company that owned George Farrugia's Aikon Ltd, before the trader assumed full ownership in January 2011. Aikon Ltd is currently at the heart of an investigation into commissions paid over Enemalta oil-purchasing agreements.

The directors are now-former Labour candidate and financial controller Joe Cordina, Carmel Scerri, and also past Nationalist Party candidate Martin Fenech.

The trio are suing Fenech for statements he made on Thursday 21st February on NET TV, during which they said that Fenech alleged that they were being the oil-purchasing scandal and were involved in the monies that were obtained in the corruption pertaining to Enemalta oil purchasing.

The trio said that Fenech's statements were are "false and slanderous allegations" in their regard and were made "with the intent to offend their honour and undermine their reputation and credibility."

Cordina also separately sued Nazzjon Editor Alexander Attard for libel, for an article titled 'L-Amministratur Finanzjarju tal-MLP wara l-iskandlu taz-zejt' which was published in the nationalist-owned daily newspaper on Friday 22nd February 2013.

The announcements put paid to speculation whether the Intershore directors would be taking legal steps in the wake of claims by the Nationalist Party and Minister Tonio Fenech last week that that former Labour candidate Joe Cordina was "behind the oil scandal", as the director-shareholder of Intershore Fiduciary Services.

In comments to MaltaToday, Intershore director and former PN candidate Martin Fenech later said the company was "seeking legal advice" in order to sue for libel.

Together with the other two Intershore directors Cordina and Scerri, Martin Fenech had categorically denied their company was ever involved in the oil corruption scandal.

"We are categorically and solemnly declaring that no monies in connection to the buying or selling of oil ever entered the bank account of our company," Fenech, Scerri and Cordina said.

The three directors had also expressed their disappointment at those "trying to tarnish the credibility, the professionalism and the integrity of individuals who always abided by the law and gave an honest service to their clients".