Labour MP Jonathan Attard has taken exception to comments made by former Nationalist Party candidate Kevin Cassar in an opinion piece published on Sunday, named “Abela’s consent”.

In a right of reply, Attard said that he was never involved in the sale of passports under the IIP programme and neither was he involved in any law suits against journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

This is his right of reply in full:

“Contrary to the allegations made in the article by Kevin Cassar, entitled ‘Abela’s Consent’, I was never remotely involved in the sale of passports under the IIP program or any other investment for citizenship program and Henley and Partners, nor was I involved either personally or in my professional capacity in any action or decision relating to lawsuits instituted against Daphne Caruana Galizia.

“Any mention of my name is based on erroneous and factually incorrect information. It is clear that based on such an error, Kevin Cassar, without confirming the facts and information published, reached further conclusions and innuendos which are based on completely false information and which are purely intended to mislead the reader.

“It is also clear that such conclusions are purely intended to harm my character as a Member of Parliament and Candidate of the Labour Party in the upcoming election.”

Note:

The reference to Dr Jonathan Attard in the said article was an error on the part of author Kevin Cassar as the person involved was Dr Johnathan Cardona  who was copied in to the e mails between Henley and Partners in relation to SLAPP lawsuits against Daphne Caruana Galizia, and not Dr Jonathan Attard

The author has personally contacted Dr Jonathan Attard to apologise for his error and to assure him that he had no intention of discrediting him or of putting him in a bad light.

The error is deeply regretted.