Borg sidesteps suggestions to suspend himself over corruption probe into MEPA permit

Parliamentary Secretary for EU funds says planning Ombudsman's decision concerns technical issues related to MEPA process

EU funds parliamentary secretary Ian Borg.
EU funds parliamentary secretary Ian Borg.
Ian Borg plays down seriousness of Ombudsman report into his Rabat property permit

Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg brushed away the need to put the property he purchased in Rabat on his name.

“I am convinced that if I had to put the property on my name, you would be saying that the permit was issued because of that.”

Borg played down the seriousness of investigations carried out by the Ombudsman, as being about the technical process as issued by MEPA.

Borg insisted that he bought the property within the parameters of the law.

But the Ombudsman has claimed that Borg used a “devious method” to get the MEPA permit for the property by using his father’s name and a project manager to appear as the property’s owners.

Borg is claiming that the person who purchased the property next to his “did the exact same thing”, when explaining why he applied for a permit using someone else’s name.

Asked whether he thinks he should suspend himself until the investigation is complete, after the Ombudsman forwarded his findings to the Permanent Commission Against Corruption, Ian Borg avoided giving a clear answer.

“When the final report is out, I will shoulder the responsibility accordingly,” he said.