Alex Borg swears he never met fuel smuggler PL linked to PN proposal

Alex Borg has signed an affidavit denying he ever met any contrabandist or anyone involved in illegal activity in connection with the Nationalist Party’s proposed fuel investment.

The PN leader presented a copy of the affidavit to the media during a news conference on Thursday.

The document, notarised on Thursday, was Borg’s response to Prime Minister Robert Abela’s claim that the PN’s proposal to create a fixed offshore fuel hub off Hurd’s Bank was the brainchild of “Malta’s biggest fuel smuggler”. 

The affidavit reads: “ I declare that I never met with any contrabandist or person involved with illegal activities with regard to this investment.”

Photo of the affidavit with Borg in the background Photo: Emma Borg

“I categorically deny the allegations made by the Prime Minister in my direction as frivolous, unfounded, intended solely to damage my reputation and the country," it says.

The affidavit was notarised by Dr Matthew Agius.

Borg also again invited the prime minister to go to the police commissioner with his report.

“If the prime minister met this person and the prime minister was aware he was a contrabandist, he did nothing about it. So he knew he was engaging in criminality; he made a proposal to him, and left with the prime minister not doing anything about it.”

Borg said that this “does not happen in a democratic society” and claimed that these reactions reflect a sense of panic within the Labour Party.

His comments echoed those he made on Wednesday during a rally in Birkirkara, where he also denied the allegations and challenged Abela to file a police report.

Earlier on Wednesday, Abela claimed that the financial backer of the PN proposal was “Malta’s biggest fuel smuggler”.

The prime minister made the claim while speaking to journalists during a news conference about a €150 million factory in Ħal Far.

He said the same “wise guy” had previously approached him with an identical project, but that he had dismissed it.