Mario de Marco renounces legal advice on ITS site
Mario de Marco has renounced continuing to give legal advice to the DB Group on the ITS project in St George’s Bay, Leader of the Opposition Simon Busuttil announced at a party gathering in Marsa yesterday.
“Every party will face difficulties, but it has you act on those that matter. A year on from the Panama papers scandal and Joseph Muscat has done nothing,” he said.
He did admit that there was conflict of interest between Dr de Marco’s political and professional position with regards to this case but maintained that Dr de Marco’s firm had long been the legal advisors to the DB Group.
“He had a choice and he chose the PN,” Dr Busuttil told the crowd.
“We are not dictated by private interests outside the party. We are not for sale.”
Dr Busuttil also said that the PN will be taking up concerns with the Auditor General regarding the ITS contract
In a statement, the DB Group welcomed the suggestion of the Opposition leader to have the contract it signed with the government over the ITS site in St George’s Bay, St Julian’s, scrutinized by the Auditor General.
“No one in this country is more eager for the truth to win out on this matter than our Group,” a statement read.
“The reason is obvious to those who have the decency to hear. For the first time in history, the price of the public land in question was not determined by the parties to the deal but by Deloitte, an auditing firm of international repute. And we, as a Group, abided by its decision.”
On Dr Busuttil’s claims that the PN will settle issues of conflict of interest, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairman Arnold Cassola took to social media and said:
“Today Simon Busuttil has just stated that there can be no conflicts of interest for his politicians. So Mario de Marco, after having acted as legal adviser for Silvio Debono’s ITS contract, will now give up this private consultancy. Two questions: Is Francis Zammit Dimech still a director of Debono’s Seabank? Is Anne Fenech’s company going to stop selling Maltese citizenship, as Henley and Partners’ sub agent?”
At the meeting Dr Busuttil also referenced the economic proposals laid out by the Nationalist Party. He told the audience that official statistics show that the price of food has inflated by six per cent and it was of little surprise that families and pensioners were still struggling in spite of positive economic growth.
“We will create a different economy which benefits everyone,” he said.
He also pointed to recent figures concerning women’s rights in Malta.
“Malta has dropped 24 places in women’s rights. In spite of pretending to be a progressive party, the current government is going backwards instead of moving forward.”
Deputy Leader Beppe Fenech Adami also spoke to the crowd regarding the inquiry report on the Capital One Investigation which was published on Friday.
The inquiry found that Dr Fenech Adami had not interfered with any police investigation.
“A four month campaign from the corrupt clique of Castille” has proven to be false, he said.
“He appointed three former judges to this four month inquiry where no stone was left unturned, but at the same time he never bothered to investigate Konrad Mizzi or Keith Schembri. There even is an FIAU report at the Police Commissioner, yet instead of ordering an inquiry he keeps those corrupt liars by his side.”
The allegations, he said, were the latest in a long line of attacks made by the Labour Party following last year’s Panama Papers reveal.
“Muscat started a campaign of lies against me, my family, and where I live. Owen Bonnici even sent his friend to investigate. I sued them for libel, and the chickens and cowards did not even come to court to defend themselves.”
He then pointed to the recent allegations involving the intervention of government officials in a police investigation which saw a person change their official statement concerning two drug traffickers, as evidence of this.
“For this inquiry Muscat did not get any former judges, instead he got his friends to investigate his friend.”
Is Francis Zammit Dimech still a director of Debono’s Seabank? Is Anne Fenech’s company going to stop selling Maltese citizenship, as Henley and Partners’ sub agent?