PN leader Adrian Delia and PN leadership challenger Bernard Grech will this week face a party due diligence panel to assess their suitability for the job. 

The “suitability check”, as one PN insider described it, will take the form of an interview with the panel. 

“The whole point of this exercise is to provide an x-ray of the two candidates, rather than it being a qualifying exercise which the candidates can pass or fail”, the source said. 

In addition to this suitability check, the panel is also empowered to carry out due diligence checks on Delia’s and Grech’s finances. The panel has the prospective candidates' consent to seek information from banks. 

The source said the financial due diligence process will also cover the prospective candidates’ immediate family members. 

Both Delia and Grech submitted documentation requested by the panel by the afternoon deadline on Monday. 

The panel has six weeks to conclude its work. It will then pass on a report to the administrative committee and the PN’s electoral commission.

PN leader Adrian Delia uploaded on Facebook a photo on Monday with two lawyers in shot, saying he was preparing for the due diligence exercise. 

Throughout his three-year tenure, Delia has been blighted by questions about his finances and tax dues.