Eddie Fenech Adami’s longtime driver and confidant, Charles Borg is-Sunnara, dies

Charles Borg forged his close relationship with former Prime Minister and PN leader, Eddie Fenech Adami from the time he was Opposition leader in the 1980s

Charles Borg (right) behind former Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami
Charles Borg (right) behind former Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami

Eddie Fenech Adami’s former driver and close friend, Charles Borg, known by his nickname is-Sunnara (the hook), has died.

Borg was a trusted aide for the former Prime Minister, and was immortalised as the man who carried Fenech Adami on his shoulders during mass meetings in the 1980s.

People close to Borg spoke about Fenech Adami’s high esteem of his driver, who would regularly visit village cafeterias and listen about issues affecting people at the time, and then relay the message back to the former PN leader.

Charles Borg was a body guard of sorts for Fenech Adami during the turbulent 1980s
Charles Borg was a body guard of sorts for Fenech Adami during the turbulent 1980s

“Fenech Adami would have preferred to listen to what ‘is-Sunnara’ had to say on the sentiment felt by people, then to believe public opinion surveys,” a person who knew Borg said.

Borg had been the link between the former PM and the notorious Joseph Fenech, known as Żeppi l-Ħafi, when the latter had come forward with information on the attempted murder of Fenech Adami’s personal assistant, Richard Cachia Caruana.

Borg arranged a secret meeting between Fenech Adami and Fenech beneath the Regional Road bridge, which eventually led the then prime minister to give Fenech a presidential pardon to give evidence in court on the attempted murder. Fenech's testimony was not enough and the court acquitted one of the accused. The other accused had pleaded guilty before standing trial.

Fenech had been involved in the attempted murder and the pardon had come in for severe criticism.