PN Deputy Leader Beppe Fenech Adami today said that Economy Minister Chris Cardona has turned the whole country into a brothel.

He was replying to questions following the publication of a blog on Daphne Caruana Galizia’s website, which said that Dr Cardona was in a brothel in Germany last night. Dr Cardona, who is also Labour’s deputy leader, has denied the claims.

"It is a serious allegation that is totally unacceptable, regardless of whether or not he was on an official trip," Dr Fenech Adami said.

The PN Deputy Leader then said it was not the first time the minister’s behaviour on official trips has been called in question as he made reference to the Dubai scandal when it was revealed that the minister, along with his chief of staff, had racked up at 700e alcohol bill whilst on an official visit to the country.

"I expect Chris Cardona to come clean and say whether he visited a brothel during any time on his trip to Germany" Dr Fenech Adami went on to say.

 

The Nationalist Party called the press conference to unveil the latest billboards which are being installed at a majority of PN clubs around the island, however journalists took the opportunity to ask Dr Fenech Adami for his take on Dr Cardona's behaviour.

The billboards relate to the increase in the price of fuel that was introduced at the start of the month and the Panama Papers scandal. 

 

“It has been almost a year since the Panama Papers scandal revealed that the two closest people to the Prime Minister held secret accounts, in which they intended to deposit a minimum of one million euros,” Dr Fenech Adami said when unveiling the image which displays three hats with the names of the Panamanian companies.

When quizzed by journalists on his opinion on the identity of Egrant plc, the third company whose ultimate beneficial owner is yet to be identified, Dr Fenech Adami said “The country knows the identity of Egrant. I have no doubt who it is. Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri know. The Prime Minister knows. It is obvious.” 

He went on to say that 'the scandal paints the whole picture of the most corrupt government this country has ever seen’.

 

The many scandals that have plagued the current administration have had a detrimental effect on the population, Dr Fenech Adami explained as he pointed towards the increase in fuel prices as evidence of this.

He also claimed that this has also manifested itself in the lack of investment in education, health and local councils.

With regard to the education sector, Dr Fenech Adami claimed that the government had broken its pre-electoral promise that they would invest in new schools.

PN general election Candidates Albert Buttigieg and Graziella Galea also addressed the media. The former made reference to rental crisis on the islands saying that, much like the first-time buyers scheme, the recent subsidies have done nothing but further increase prices.  The latter spoke of the recent scandal involving the General Workers Union, which she said profited the union instead of the workers it is meant to protect.

Photographs by Jonathan Borg