PN Leader Simon Busuttil said that the CEO of the group to develop the site previously occupied by the ITS in St George’s Bay has told him that the group wants back the money it donated to the PN. This was confirmed by the CEO himself, Arthur Gauci, in a later statement.
Speaking during an intervention during a fund-raising telethon, Dr Busuttil said the CEO made contact with him via sms asking for an urgent meeting to claim back the money donated after this morning he (Dr Busuttil) said that the party will be asking the auditor general to investigate the contract signed.
Expressing shock, Dr Busuttil said described the action taken by the group CEO as a threat. Dr Busuttil did not name the group, the db San Gorg Property Ltd Group.
Dr Busuttil said that the party will not be bought by anyone and is not in anyone’s pocket. He reiterated what he said this morning, when he said politicians should choose between their interests and that of the party.
Since this morning’s address, Dr Busuttil said, he had received an SMS from a “civil service head” which said that it is important that the PN passes on the message that the next election is of vital importance to the country.
“Great damage has been done, but there is still a chance for the damage to be repaired.”
In reply, the db Group declared the following in a statement signed by CEO Arthur Gauci.
1. We confirm sending a text message to Dr Busuttil earlier this afternoon after what he stated in regards to our Group. Our text verbatim read as follows:
Dottor Busuttil qeghdin nitolbu meeting urgent mieghek halli il-partit irodd lura dak kollu li l-grupp taghna gie mitlub ihallas matul iz-zmien
2. We were specifically asked to cover the monthly salaries of various PN Party personnel. This happened both pre-Simon Busuttil’s coming to leader and after. More specifically since the latter became leader we were asked to cover the salaries of both the Secretary General and the Party’s CEO. Dr Simon Busuttil is fully abreast of both the request for these funds as well as their acceptance. Requests for funds from the PN have reached us as late as yesterday.
3. We have never, ever, asked for any favours from the PN either when in Government or not. I re-iterate that the funds were always requested by the PN and not donated by us.
4. The db Group (formerly Seabank Group) welcomes the suggestion of the Opposition leader to have the contract it signed with government over the ITS site in St George's Bay, St Julians 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.
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.
5. There can be no stronger proof that we never expected any favour and never received any. It is precisely for this reason that any allegation of corruption from the PN is simply a hurtful lie.