Opposition Leader Adrian Delia has suggested that Whatsapp conversations between him and Yorgen Fenech were 'made up' as part of an effort to attack him and the Nationalist party.

On Sunday, Times of Malta published parts of what it said are conversations between Fenech and Delia that took place after the former was outed as the owner of 17 Black. Delia had previously denied having had any contact with Fenech after the Dubai company revelations but has since changed his stance to say that he had had "no communication of relevance" with Fenech.

The messages were allegedly sent in the first half of 2019. In one message, sent on 19 March 2019, Fenech texted Delia: "We are always behind you no matter what."

In the same exchange, Fenech asked Delia if he was up for a casual meal. "Good day to you. Thank you, I'll ask Pierre (Portelli) to organise it," Delia replied, according to a screenshot published by the Times. In some instances, Delia did not reply to Fenech.

The Opposition Leader told the newspaper that he had never had any professional relationship with Fenech in his life. "I have never had any friendship or any other formal relationship with him. I most certainly never received money/donations from Fenech as you seem to imply. I was certainly never influenced by him, or anyone else, either in politics or indeed ever in my entire life," he said.

Speaking on Net FM on Sunday morning, Delia said the story which, he noted, did not say where the information had come from, was part of a strategy to deflect attention from the government to the Opposition.

He said the story like came from the Labour Party, or people within the PL - people who were trying to cover up their own corruption by making up stories and throwing mud.

"In reality such acts are all manoeuvres in order to attack me as a Leader of the Nationalist Party. However, they will not succeed in irritating, threating, silencing or frightening me in any way," Delia said.

"I will not give in to people who resort to creating such claims, who lie to people and who try to undermine those who are trying to fight for good," he added.

 

During the interview, reference was made to the announcement that the IIP - the passport sale scheme - will be scrapped and replaced by a different programme focusing more on residency.

Delia said the government had listened to the Opposition, saying that he had always been against the concept of selling our citizenship, even before his entry into politics.

Asked what his position is on the new system, Delia said, "when I joined the Nationalist Party, I made it clear that scheme that would harm our country, however, the government believed that it could be an investment for the country instead."

He added that, "now the government decided to stop the scheme, not by chance, but this seems to be one of the conditions that is being imposed on the government in order to somehow pass the Moneyval test we have before us."

"I am pleased and satisfied that by next September, this scheme will be stopped but now we have to see the proposals that the government will issue regarding such matters."

If it will be a system which will truly attract some sort of uncorrupted investment, the Nationalist Party we will be in favour, he said, but if it entails simply changing the name and practically leaving the system as it is today, the PN will take a different position.

On the Vitals deal "which is costing the Maltese people millions of euros without any return," Delia said he had invited Prime Minister Robert Abela to join him in court regarding this particular case. Delia was asked whether he ever received an answer from Abela.

In reply, Delia expressed that, "the PM had a choice; either to fight for what belongs to Maltese and Gozitans, or to defend the interests of foreigners, and so far, he is currently doing the latter."

"After Abela became Prime Minister, replacing Joseph Muscat, he said that he would immediately appoint a number of experts to review the contract and take the necessary steps in the best interest of the country."

Delia stated that, "six months have passed, and the PM has not yet taken a decision or stopped the contract, whilst the Maltese people are still paying for all of it."

"We should not have to wait months and years for our courts to take a decision when we have the ability to take a stand and make a decision ourselves."

Asked about the bills tabled by the government in Parliament to make constitutional changes, Delia said that, "although we were in a consultation group regarding this matter, the government barely informed the opposition about the decisions it took. We spent months discussing the matter together, however, the government decided to take decisions on its own. We were seeking consensus and agreement, but the government decided to publish all ten works on its own without consulting the Nationalist Party."