WATCH | ‘Those are family assets,’ Galdes says of large property portfolio

Housing Minister Roderick Galdes has dismissed ethical concerns over his various property deals with developers, insisting these deals reflect “the principal assets of my family”.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Galdes said the many properties that have come up in media exposés are conjugal properties and do not necessarily reflect the salary of a minister.

“The mistake being made by the media is that I’m being attacked over my ministerial salary when I collect income from elsewhere, such as from my conjugal partner, which I do not need to declare because she has her private life,” he said.

He also said he collects rental income, but it’s his partner that works on these properties and pays VAT and tax on them. “It’s not fair to research these properties and attach any corruption or bad influence on them.”

The minister’s wide portfolio of assets has come under scrutiny recently after it was revealed that he bought a duplex penthouse in Gozo for just €140,000 in 2021 from Excel Investments, a company partly owned by construction magnate Joseph Portelli.

Last Sunday, Times of Malta reported that Galdes struck a deal with the same company to trade a furnished apartment in Xagħra with a plot of land in Għarb.

Meanwhile, ex-MP Jason Azzopardi has been levelling several accusations against Galdes on Facebook and has submitted a criminal complaint calling for an investigation into his “unexplained wealth”, citing information from “confidential sources”.

In this complaint, Azzopardi claims Galdes owns an apartment block in the Italian Dolomite mountains, which cost around €250,000 to buy and a further €120,000 to renovate. Azzopardi says these prices jar with the minister’s declared income of €60,000.

Azzopardi also filed details of a rental agreement where the minister’s wife appears as the landlord. According to the former MP, Galdes received rental payments over Revolut between 2022 and 2023, despite his wife appearing on the agreement.

Galdes told journalists that he has not received a copy of this complaint, but he will defend his name against these accusations. He called Azzopardi “a liar, as declared by the court”.

“He fabricates lies every year, even during the Christmas time. He did this to Carmelo Abela, Silvio Schembri, Clint Camilleri, and it seems I’m next.”

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Robert Abela said Galdes does not need to shoulder any political responsibility. He said he is satisfied with the minister’s explanations for his large property portfolio.

And like Galdes, Abela was more concerned with Jason Azzopardi’s police complaint against Galdes.

READ ALSO: Abela says he is satisfied with Galdes's property deals explanations 'so far'