No money donated from Yorgen Fenech’s family, says PN administrative council

The Nationalist Party’s administrative council has declared its unanimous confidence in incumbent leader Bernard Grech, after former MP Jason Azzopardi broke ranks with the party and resigned on Monday evening.

Azzopardi, a longtime MP who failed to be re-elected on the ninth and fourth districts, was set to face the council to back up allegations that he had hindered some form of donation tied to the PN’s support of a presidential pardon bid by Tumas magnate Yorgen Fenech.

Azzopardi claimed the request was made during a December 2021 lunch Bernard Grech had with a group of six businessmen, among them the relatives of Fenech, but not specifically members of the Tumas Group.

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“Azzopardi has failed to substantiate the allegations he made on social media in the PN’s ethics, discipline and social media committee,” the PN’s administrative council said yesteday.

“No donations were given by the Fenech family in the last years,” the council said, adding that the allegations of donations to the PN were also discussed in the council.

Bernard Grech will be running as the sole contestant in a mandatory leadership election after the party’s election loss in the 2022 general elections.