Ann Fenech will be filing a libel suit against the Labour Party following a statement it issued about her earlier today.

In a statement this evening in response to the PL statement issued earlier,  the president of the PN executive council categorically rejects the claim made by the Labour Party that she ever formed any companies in Panama. 

“She never said this and this is yet an outright lie. 

“Nor is it true that Dr Fenech mentioned the citizenship programme. This is yet another lie. 

“Dr Fenech said that it is time for the Labour Party to stop lying and start answering the serious crisis of corruption in which it has put the country. 

Dr Fenech said she will be instituting libel proceedings against the Labour Party. 

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Earlier

Ann Fenech, managing partner at Fenech and Fenech and president of the Nationalist Party’s executive council said that various government departments of the Labour administration use the firm’s services.

“We are specialised in our work, so if this government decides to give work to Fenech and Fenech because we are extremely specialised, why wouldn’t the previous government do the same thing?”

Controversy arose this week in parliament when it was revealed that the firm received a total of over €900,000 in direct orders under the previous administration. Government spokespersons said that Dr Fenech received direct orders amounting to over €400,000, and that most of the direct orders received by the firms was for work related to Air Malta.

Dr Fenech unequivocally denied that she personally profited from these direct orders, and that she works “almost exclusively” in maritime affairs. She said that she has not personally worked on Air Malta because it is not in her area of expertise.

“I do not do aviation work. Fenech and Fenech’s speciality in aviation was there before I entered the firm.”

She also highlighted that the firm’s ranking by legal publications such as Legal 500 is testament to this.

She questioned why a government should turn to a firm or person’s services in a particular circumstance when they know for a fact that it would take less time and be more efficient with another firm? “This would be negligent,” she said.

In a press conference this morning, when hounded by the media about the high amount she received in direct orders under the previous government, she made it clear that it was the firm who is paid, and not her personally.

She reiterated that even the present government is using the firm’s services due to the high level of specialised expertise which Fenech and Fenech is known for.

PQs on Ann Fenech

PL press release

The Labour Party in response sent a press release and said - “Dr Fenech said that she took the contracts In a meritocratic manner  and that they are justified. She also said that this government is meritocratic as government still uses her firm’s services. This, when Dr Fenech used to say that this government does not judge on merit”.

“The same Dr Fenech criticised government on the Citizenship programme, yet today said she works on this programme as well”.

“Dr Fenech must decide what she will attack government with. It is also interesting that Dr Fenech said that if it was her, she would open, as it seems she already has, companies in Panama for her clients”.

“However if she is involved, there is nothing wrong”.