Nationalist Party leadership hopeful Adrian Delia today said he had no savings in either local or foreign banks.

Addressing a press conference during which he published a statement of affairs, Dr Delia told Times of Malta if he had any cash balances with any banks, they would have been inserted in the statement.

Asked how he planned to finance his debts on an Opposition leader’s salary, Dr Delia said he has sought the advice of a financial expert in order to shore up his financial position.

Questioned how much the company shares were worth, Dr Delia could not give a precise figure.

Asked to react to comments by rival Chris Said that the last-minute publication of the audit was "too little, too late", Dr Delia said if the PN MP thought such financial statements should be published at an earlier stage, he should have sought amendments to the PN’s statute during his many years in the party.

He dismissed as fiction claims that BOV had closed his accounts. Dr Delia brandished a cheque book as well as a letter from the bank as evidence to the contrary.

• According to Dr Delia’s statement of affairs, which was audited independently, the commercial lawyer’s net financial position is €1.6 million in the black.
• He faces pending tax dues and interests payments of €86,783, home loans totalling €725,084 and an overdraft of €104,426.
• He gave the net market value of his shares in the property company Mgarr Developments as €185,082.
• The market value of assets for sale by Mgarr Development was given as €9.3 million, less the balance of a €7.2 million constitution of debt agreement.
• His main assets are properties in Siggiewi and Rabat said to be worth €2.2 million.
• Under other assets, Dr Delia lists net balances recoverable worth €74,936.
• Dr Delia also owns a number of shares in his legal firm and other companies.