[WATCH] Azzopardi seeks clarity on PM’s property deal with Christian Borg

Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi puts forward 26 questions on Prime Minister Robert Abela’s property deal with alleged kidnapper Christian Borg

PN MP Jason Azzopardi
PN MP Jason Azzopardi

Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi has insisted Prime Minister Robert Abela reveal all details related to a property deal with alleged criminal Christian Borg.

Putting forward 26 questions to Abela, Azzopardi asked among other things for the value of the promise of sale, the type of property being bought, whether the PM is ready to publish the agreement with the date, how long it was valid for, when the transfer to the alleged criminal took place and how long the period was between the time of drafting and transferring to Christian Borg.

The MP was addressing the media in light of reports related to a 2018 property deal carried out by the PM with Christian Borg, who is now facing kidnapping allegations. The property deal allegedly involved a legal transfer of purchasing rights to Christian Borg.

Azzopardi also asked whether it is true that part of the promise of sale agreement is under investigation for money laundering and whether Abela has a connection to the Maksar brothers implicated in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder.

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The list of questions also targeted whether Abela performed a proper due diligence on his alleged criminal client, on the source of funds, whether the PM provided his own due diligence documentation such as proof of funds and source of wealth especially seeing as he was a politically exposed person.

“How much profit did Robert Abela make?” Azzopardi asked.

Azzopardi also raised questions on, in light of allegations Christian Borg is facing, whether or not Robert Abela can be certain that the funds exchanged were clean.

“What steps will be taken by the CID in this case?” Azzopardi asked. “No wonder government did not approve of the Opposition’s anti-corruption Bill.”

Marsaskala local councilor and PN candidate Errol said Robert Abela should be even more accountable than when “we all live and suffer in the shadow of the greylisting brought by his predecessors and his party.”

Cutajar also expressed serious doubts that government could ever get the country off the greylist, when the PM himself is doing “questionable business deals” with people on trial for kidnapping.

Fielding questions by the media on how MP Mario Demarco’s legal firm also offered services to the accused Christian Borg, Azzopardi said that questions “will be answered”.

“All questions will be answered. What's needed now is that the PM answers on his dealings with them,” Azzopardi said. “De Marco did not actually go ahead with any business dealings and to my knowledge worked ethically and did all that was required of him by law.”

MaltaToday asked Jason Azzopardi for his comment on reports by newspaper Illum that Nationalist MP Joe Ellis has refused to resign over unpaid wages to his employees despite being ordered to do so by party leader Bernard Grech.

“I have no information, I am not privy to any information regarding this, and will not comment on speculation as I have no right and no information with which to do so,” he said.