Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil today admitted he had met Silvio Debono, the owner of DB Group, a number of times after he became party leader, with the most recent time being a couple of weeks ago.

Speaking at the university, Dr Busuttil said that the last time they had met DB Group held a presentation on the proposed development of the ITS site in St Julian’s. 

The land in question is subject to controversy concerning the price negotiated by the entrepreneur for the land to be transferred to his group for development.

The meeting, he said, took place before the PN decided that it will request the Auditor General to investigate the contract the group signed with the government.

He said that when he found out that the transfer of land would cost 15 million euro  instead of the 60 million euro as indicated in Parliament, the PN asked for explanations but the answers provided by the government were insufficient. 

“I want to make it clear that I am not at war against Silvio Debono or businesses, I am looking to clean up the political system”.

Asked by The Malta Independent about the discrepancies between the price of sale quoted by Deloitte which is 60 million euro and the 15 million euro as insisted by the PN, Dr Busuttil said: “I have no doubts on Deloitte, but even if they say it is 60 million, how much are DB Group actually going to pay. Can someone tell me where the difference between the 15 million and 60 million is going?”

Asked why he waited 24 hours to reply after the DB group claimed it had paid the salaries of PN officials, Dr Busuttil said that a year had passed since the Panama Papers scandal and Joseph Muscat had still not done anything.

He admitted that through the group’s donations had helped the party and medialink, but maintained that it did not let it influence his political judgment.

“I did not keep my silence and I am being attacked; a political party and leader are being blackmailed to either stay quiet or return the donations,” he said.

Dr Busuttil said that there are invoices which indicate that the relationship between medialink and DB Group was of a commercial nature since they are inclusive of VAT.

He also insisted that the salaries of Secretary General Rosette Thake and CEO Brian St John were paid by medialink and the PN.