Busuttil insists that political parties survive through donations that pay for all operations
Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil insisted yesterday that due to Malta’s system, political parties can only survive through donations received by the public, families and businesses.
Dr Busuttil said that he is thankful that he referred the contract between db Group, where Silvio Debono is chairman, and the government over the former Institute of Tourism Studies site because such a “savage” reaction on behalf of the company raises heavy suspicions about the whole deal.
He said that the public can either get scandalised because of the news that the Nationalist Party (PN) had received donations from db Group, owned by businessman Silvio Debono of the Seabank Hotel, or it can get scandalised by the way in which db Group was awarded the concession for the former Institute of Tourism Studies site in St George’s Bay.
Dr Busuttil was speaking in the wake of db Group alleging that it had been asked by the PN, and accepted, to pay the wages of PN executive secretary Rosette Thake and CEO Brian St John.
This came about after Dr Busuttil announced that he was asking the Auditor General to investigate the concession awarded to db Group by the government. The Opposition Leader said he then received a text message from the CEO of db Group, Arthur Gauci, asking for all donations to be returned back.
The company then announced, through a press release, that it was paying the wages of Ms Thake and Mr St John, which was promptly denied by the PN.
Dr Busuttil said the PN had asked the Auditor General to investigate the land transfer because it had concerns about the valuation. He also objected to the way the concession offered to db Group.
“After making this statement, something happened that I do not think has ever happened in Maltese politics. The savage reaction by db Group included a text message asking for the money they donated back. I said to myself, did we ever agree to keep our mouths shut when it comes to db Group? Is this what Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s dirty politics has brought us?”
Dr Busuttil said suspicions regarding the contract grew after db’s reaction. “I thank God that I made that announcement, as it seems that db Group only donated the money for us to keep our mouths shut. It makes me question what db Group offered Prime Minister Muscat for that land. This is shocking.”
The PN is in nobody’s pocket, he insisted. “All donations to the PN go to party activities, to operations and to wages, this is how it works. The system in Malta is this, political parties live on donations. There is literally no other way to survive. Our party does not have stolen clubhouses like the PL do.”
Earlier, the PN denied that its secretary general and chief corporate and business strategy officer are being paid by the db Group.
“It is no secret that the PN lives on donations made by families and businesses. Yesterday, the party collected €266,459 in a fundraising event, and these donations finance the party’s operations, political activities and the party’s employees. It is not true, the PN said, that an employee or official was paid by a businessman. Secretary general Rosette Thake, a party official, is being paid by the Nationalist Party”.
The PN further explained that last year it had received a total of €1,170,186 in donations, a sum that was declared with the Electoral Commission. Within this sum is a €3,500 donation received from businessman Silvio Debono.
Apart from this, during the past year the companies in which Mr Debono operates had a commercial relationship with Media.link Communications for which the sum of €70,800 was paid. It is not true that Brian St John, Chief Corporate and Business Strategy, is being paid by these companies. His salary is paid by Media.link Communications.
It is therefore clear, the PN said, that the allegations made about the salaries of Rosette Thake and Brian St John are untrue.
db Group reaction
But the db Group refuted the €3,500 figure, insisting that the group gave the PN €77,300 (€70,800 + €6,500). Mr Gauci said there were receipts to prove this. He also said it was not true that db group had paid €70,600 to Media.link for commercial services. “The insinuation that we were given that amount back in advertising is a total lie.”
Mr Gauci challenged the PN to state what commercial services the company had bought and how these added up to €70,800.
“Top PN officials told us that this amount would be used to pay the salary of the CEO and Secretary General. At the request of these same officials, the invoices were sent through Media.link.”