The Nationalist Party’s new strategist Christian Peregin has yet to sell his majority shareholding in Lovin Malta, the media company he founded in 2016.
Peregin had pledged to immediately divest himself of the shares upon agreeing to become the PN’s strategy chief in July.
Although he resigned as Lovin Malta’s director on August 1, business registry records show Peregin is still the majority shareholder in the news and entertainment website.
His continued ownership of the company could prove awkward within the party, particularly after its former leader Adrian Delia sued Lovin Malta in August over claims he was in contact with murder suspect Yorgen Fenech during a parliament debate about 17 Black.
On Thursday, Lovin Malta published further excerpts from chats between Fenech and former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri, discussing back in 2019 the importance of Delia retaining leadership of the party.
Contacted by Times of Malta, Peregin said he started the process to fully detach himself from Lovin Malta the day he decided to start contributing to the PN.
“The process to divest of my shareholding is under way and being treated with urgency by all parties concerned, who are doing their utmost to complete this process in the shortest time frame possible,” Peregin said.
Process to divest of my shareholding is under way and being treated with urgency- Christian Peregin
Peregin said he has full respect for Lovin Malta’s independence and does not expect them to toe the PN line or avoid scrutiny of any party, its officials, candidates or even himself personally.
The media company owner was contracted by the party to lead its strategy up till the run-up to the general election. He admitted in a recent Times of Malta interview to receiving an initially frosty reception from employees of the PN’s media arm.
Lovin Malta had filed a court case challenging the Broadcasting Authority’s continued failure to enforce impartiality requirements on the party stations.
Times of Malta recently revealed how both media arms owe upwards of €5 million in unpaid VAT to the taxman.