JPO, Evarist Bartolo team up again in new alliance to be unveiled today

Minister Evarist Bartolo and former Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando have teamed up again in a new alliance that will be unveiled today.

The Malta Independent yesterday received a notice of a press conference to be held by Dr Pullicino Orlando on what he said was “socio-political” developments.

This was quickly followed up by a second email in which Dr Pullicino Orlando, using his official email address as chairman of the Malta College for Science and Technology, informed the media that Minister Evarist Bartolo and family therapist Charles Azzopardi will be also taking part.

The subject of the media call was not disclosed.

Their last posts on Facebook did not give anything away, with the minister saying he had to run to warm himself up on a cold morning and JPO posting a photo of himself playing the bagpipes.

Mr Bartolo and Dr Pullicino Orlando had teamed up in the previous legislature to push for a divorce referendum.

The majority of the voters had voted in favour of the introduction of divorce in 2011 and it was eventually made law.

In reply, the Nationalist Party said that faced with accusations of corruption, Evarist Bartolo is trying to find way to deflect attention by teaming up with “his friend Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando” to speak on a different matter.

The PN said the minister is responsible for a canvasser who is being investigated by the police on allegations of corruption and a case involving payments to a company by the Foundation for Tomorrow‘s Schools.

Instead of taking up responsibility, Evarist Bartolo is trying to deviate attention with a friend who is being paid €60,000 a year while going to the office he is responsible for once a week, the PN said.