[WATCH] Updated | Adrian Delia refuses to answer questions on money laundering allegations

Updated at 3.20pm with Adrian Delia's comments and observations on Malta's economy during a Q&A session at the Malta Chamber of Commerce

Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia has refused to answer questions regarding his alleged involvement in money laundering, telling journalists instead to set an appointment. 

“With pleasure, I would urge you to set an appointment where you can ask me about anything you want,” Delia said, when asked whether he believed he should call for a magisterial inquiry into the allegations. 

Delia was speaking at a conference on the Maltese economy organised by the Malta Chamber of Commerce, where he was confronted by journalists regarding the latest revelations about is past dealings.

READ MORE: Delia and Cardona resigned directorship of company owning Soho brothel after police raid

The Sunday Times of Malta reported last Sunday that a Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) had untangled a web of transactions indicating that Delia was involved, directly or indirectly, in the laundering of the proceeds from a number of London brothels in the early 2000s.

In a press conference held on Saturday evening, shortly after receiving questions from the Sunday Times, Delia said he was requesting an investigation into signatures on documents, which he claims were falsified.

A magisterial inquiry into Delia’s claim that his signature had been falsified is currently underway, however it is understood that this is only limited to the signatures and not the allegations of money laundering.

READ MORE: €500,000 deposited into Delia’s Jersey account linked to Soho brothel

Malta unable to defend its attractive tax regime's since reputation is in tatters - Delia

Delia, who was participating in a Q&A session moderated by economist Stefano Mallia, said that Malta was now unable to defend itself against criticism on its taxation system from countries like Germany and France, because its financial industry reputation is in tatters.

"Malta's intact reputation in the past gave it a robust defence for its attractive tax regime, but it can no longer do so, because its reputation is at risk," he said.

He emphasised that in order for the country reputation to be protected against further harm, the necessary institutional restructuring had to be undertaken immediately.

Regarding Malta's strong rate of economic growth, the Opposition leader said that, although the economy was expanding and unemployment was at a record low, in effect people's salaries had not increased.

"The other side of the coin of the economic success is that, per capita, the workforce's earnings are not increasing. In the past six years, compared to the previous six, Malta had the lowest actual growth in wages."

He went on to reiterate his criticism of the government's economic model based on population growth, which he said made no sense in a densely populated small island.

As an alternative to this, he proposed focusing on economic sectors which could be invested in without necessitating an increase in human resources.

"Going forward, we should choose more wisely which kind of economic sectors to focus on, such as which type of manufacturing we want in the country," he highlighted.

"We need to choice the model we want to follow to grow. Its' about choice. Which choices do we opt to invest in - sectors which are human capital dependant, or those dependant on structures, innovation, research and education, which do not necessarily require more and more workers?"

Asked what he thought of the current size of the government workforce, which numbers some 47,000 state-employed people, Delia said that sectors like health and the police hadn't benefitted for the growth in size, and that instead government jobs had been "dished out" in areas they were not needed.

In terms of what he would do differently, he said that he would "go back to a policy which sets out a ratio between the retirement and hiring rate, to ensure that people recruited by the government are being utilised.

Questioned on the topic of construction, Delia said that the main issue with over-development in Malta was that there was a lack of planning on the government's part.

"How can the Planning Authority issue permits at all cost without any structure?" he said, "We have to see what is going on. If this is a consequence of not having a master plan, then the corollary of this would be that we should plan for the needs of the future."

He also pointed out contradictions in the government's transport plans, saying that while it wanted Gozo to be a testing hub for electric vehicles, it was also planning to build a tunnel to Gozo, which would be used by people coming from Malta driving conventionally-fuelled cars.

"The government is proposing a tunnel to Gozo, and electric cars for our sister island. But people will go through the tunnel in normal cars. This is simply playing around with words, not planning."

"We need a government which plans for the country's requirements and which takes bold decisions for Malta country which will persevere into the future, rather than having a five or ten-year electoral plan which serves any particular party," he added.