Jason Azzopardi made use of free Hilton services during 2008 election campaign

Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi did not pay for a Hilton hall he used for free during the 2008 electoral campaign.

Sister newspaper Illum revealed on Sunday that the MP is facing a number of accusations on the fact that he received a number of gifts when he was parliamentary secretary.

Illum also revealed that when he was junior minister, Azzopardi was allowed to use services at the Excelsior Hotel for free. Such services included gym facilities, a room and breakfast whenever he wanted.

Azzopardi has already suspended himself from the Nationalist Party, after it emerged that a Hilton Hotel stay in Tel Aviv in March 2017 had been paid for by Ray Fenech, one of the directors of the Tumas Group – a business group which Yorgen Fenech, now alleged mastermind behind the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, was also part of.

Azzopardi will remain suspended until conclusions are issued by the PN’s ethics board.

According to Illum, during the 2008 election campaign, Azzopardi had struck a deal with Yorgen Fenech, at the time director of Tumas Group, which saw the business man providing a hall and food at the hotel for free.

Following June 2017, Azzopardi had continued to make use of services at the Hilton in Paceville, which included free stays at the pool and a free buffet.

The report states that due to the fact that he had connections with the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation, Azzopardi stopped making use of Hilton facilities, and instead frequented another hotel where former FIAU inspector Jonathan Ferris is head of security.

Before 2013, when he was still parliamentary secretary for lands, Azzopardi used services belonging to a company that runs a parking in Valletta to carry out works at his office. The same company was granted an extension on their ground rent a short while later.

At the time, residents in Azzopardi’s constituency were offered public land to extend the size of their houses.

The newspaper also revealed that in court proceedings during Azzopardi’s separation from his former wife, the MP had confirmed that he had travelled abroad with his new partner 34 times.

When questioned by the court as to how he had funded his travels, Azzopardi stated that expenses were forked out by third-parties.

Despite his claim, a list seen by Illum showed that around 20 trips were funded by parliament as part of his duties as MP.

Jason Azzopardi reaction

The MP has since denied the allegations, calling them the work of an agenda against him.

“I note that an article has been published about me with a clear agenda, an article overflowing with inventions, half-truths and facts that have nothing to do with each other,” Azzopardi said.

The MP stated that he would not be commenting on personal aspects of his life, except to deny what was written on him.

“For now, I just say that no one and nothing will make me lose heart and silence me, even if I know that there will be more of these ‘articles’ coming soon,” he said.

READ ALSO: Jason Azzopardi admits that Tel Aviv hotel stay was paid for by Tumas Group