The Labour Party said today that PN MP Jason Azzopardi had remained silent on his “links” with controversial businessman Marco Gaffarena.
The PL said that the MP “who continuously criticised others” is not answering questions on the time when he was Parliamentary Secretary responsible for lands.
It said a report in a Sunday paper revealed how Azzopardi had instructed his Private Secretary in 2010 to assist Mr Gaffarena to redeem the groundrent on a property in Sliema. “Jason Azzopardi has still not explained himself in light of this serious allegation of political interference.”
The Sliema property in question was mentioned several times during PN press conferences in an attempt to throw bad light on the government, which is carrying out an investigation, the PL said.
“If he wants to be credible, Azzopardi should say whether the links between the PN and Gaffarena are just assumptions or not.”
It said Dr Azzopardi was the second PN politician to be revealed to have links with Gaffarena after PN Deputy Leader Beppe Fenech Adami. Dr Fenech Adami had told journalists that he barely knew Marco Gaffarena but it later transpired that their relationship went much deeper.
Jason Azzopardi replies
In reply, Dr Azzopardi said the Labour Party was allowing itself to become Gaffarena’s puppet, defending him whenever he asked.
The PL was once again defending the government scandal that turned Gaffarena into a multi-millionaire overnight with taxpayer money. At the same time it was also attacking individuals who wanted the truth about the scandal to come out.
The PL had also ignored the replies sent by Azzopardi and published on the front page of L-Orizzont.
In stating that the Sliema property was the same one involved in the Gaffarena scandal, the government had revealed new information about Gaffarena and had also given the ultimate confirmation that the PL and Gaffarena were very close to each other, with the former giving in to every demand made by the controversial businessman.
Dr Azzopardi said one example of this was how the PL had granted Gaffarena the necessary permits for his illegal petrol station in Qormi. Gaffarena had tried to obtain the permits unsuccessfully under the PN but got his way once Joseph Muscat was elected Prime Minster and retained MEPA under his portfolio.
The PN MP said the Prime Minister should immediately accept the eight challenged put to him by Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil, however, Joseph Muscat was weak and, instead of fighting corruption he defended it. “It is not surprising that Joseph Muscat’s government is the most corrupt one since the past Labour administrations led by Dom Mintoff and Lorry Sant.”