Nationalist MPs say Gonzi did not reveal blackmail attempt against Fenech
Matthew Vella
Finance Minister Tonio Fenech has refused to discuss reliable information MaltaToday has that it was not the Prime Minister who raised the issue of his trip to watch Arsenal play with businessmen Joe Gasan and George Fenech last Saturday.
Fenech has claimed it was not backbencher Franco Debono who raised a hornet’s nest by speaking out on his alleged “conflict” during the parliamentary group meeting, but Lawrence Gonzi, who was already aware of an anonymous letter sent to the minister two months ago.
The alleged letter is believed to be an attempt to blackmail him over his trip aboard Tumas Group chairman George Fenech’s private jet to watch a tennis match at Wimbledon (the actual trip was to watch Arsenal play Villareal in Spain).
While George Fenech operates the Oracle and Portomaso casinos and is bidding for the Dragonara casino concession, the finance minister is currently trying to push more stringent controls on gambling shops through parliament, which could indirectly benefit the casino business.
But MPs speaking to MaltaToday have disputed the alleged presentation of this letter during the parliamentary group meeting.
Fenech’s claims would give the impression that apart from having had the PM’s blessing to go on the trip, he was also the victim of an alleged blackmail rather than the target of the PN’s disgruntled backbench.
But MPs who were present for the meeting have expressed surprise at reading Fenech’s claims, in an interview in another newspaper earlier this week, claiming the Prime Minister never produced the alleged letter.
“If the Prime Minister took out a letter during that meeting, then it was surely a ghost,” one MP told this newspaper.
The Office of the Prime Minister has so far not confirmed whether it was indeed Lawrence Gonzi – and not backbencher Franco Debono – who raised the matter of Fenech’s trip during the meeting.
Yesterday, Fenech was asked whether he is insisting that it was the Prime Minister who raised the matter first in the parliamentary group meeting.
“The minister does not comment on contents of discussions within the parliamentary group,” his spokesperson said.
Fenech has so far been defended by Gonzi, but an extraordinary PN group meeting on Wednesday failed to garner support by all Nationalist MPs to issue a statement rallying around the minister. Instead, the PN parliamentary group issued a “condemnation” of anonymous letters.
It is clear that Tonio Fenech’s acceptance to fly with the two businessmen has flouted the ministers’ code of ethics, which states that ministers cannot accept gifts or services. The code of ethics says ministers should not accept “gifts or services” that could be deemed to create an “obligation, real or imaginary”, and the same rule also applies to ministers’ spouses and minor children.
On the trip, Fenech was accompanied by his son and nephew.
Lawrence Gonzi has defended Fenech, denying any conflict of interest linked to the gaming laws, and has said no ministerial statement on the trip was necessary.
But Fenech has sued MaltaToday managing editor Saviour Balzan for libel over his opinion column, claiming the article was aimed at casting doubt on his integrity as minister. Balzan said he will be requesting the Court to hear this case with urgency. “No libel case will stop me or this newspaper from reporting or expressing an opinion on the behaviour of a minister who chose to fly on the private jet of a well-known businessman twice. No libel case would change the fact that the code of ethics has been ignored.”
Any comments?
If you wish your comments to be published in our Letters pages please click button below. Please write a contact number and a postal address where you may be contacted.
Search:
MALTATODAY
BUSINESSTODAY
Download MaltaToday Sunday issue front page in pdf file format
All the interviews from Reporter on MaltaToday's YouTube channel.
