PN leadership candidates submit documents requested by vetting panel

Adrian Delia and Bernard Grech have submitted documentation requested of them by the Nationalist Party’s vetting panel ahead of the leadership race.

The two candidates had until today to produce a list of documents requested by a panel tasked with carrying out a due diligence exercise on prospective leadership contenders.

The due diligence process prior to confirming leadership candidates was introduced earlier this year as part of wider changes to the PN statute.

The panel led by Antonio Ghirlando, a compliance specialist focussing primarily on financial crime compliance, also includes notary Clyde La Rosa and accountant Mario P. Galea. It was appointed by the PN’s Candidates Commission to carry out the due diligence exercise.

Delia and Grech were the only two candidates to show an interest in the leadership.

On Monday afternoon, Delia released a photo of himself with two lawyers – Antonio Depasquale and PN international secretary Roselyn Borg Knight – preparing for the vetting process.

In comments to MaltaToday, Delia said he had submitted all documentation requested and was now waiting for the panel to call him in for an interview.

A spokesperson for Grech confirmed that he had also submitted the requested documentation.

The panel has up to six weeks to finalise its due diligence report, which will then be presented to the administrative committee and Electoral Commission.

Clarification: A previous version of this report wrongly named Anthony Ghirlando, a lawyer, as the head of the due diligence panel. The man actually leading the panel is Antonio Ghirlando, a compliance specialist.