I refer to the article published by The Sunday Times of Malta, and online, entitled ‘Yorgen Fenech’s luxury car swap being probed’.

I wish to point out that several assertions made in the article are either misleading or incorrect and are harmful to my hitherto untarnished reputation.

The article conveys the impression, for sensationalist effect, that I dealt with an “alleged Daphne Caruana Galizia co-conspirator” when the truth of the matter is that no such accusations had been levelled against Fenech at the time of the agreement in question.

Furthermore, the property I purchased for €1.36 million was not fully owned by Fenech as implied in the article but by the Fenech family.

Fenech had only a 25 per cent share in this property.

The nature of the transaction has also been misrepresented: no “vast amounts of cash… changed hands”, as alleged in the article.

Like many others, I financed the purchase primarily through a €900,000 mortgage obtained from one of Malta’s leading banks.

I settled the deposit value of €300,000 through an exchange of two high-end vehicles by transferring my ownership to Fenech of a Rolls Royce Wraith. The car was purchased from a leading UK Rolls Royce dealership and valued at €400,000 (not €250,000 as alleged in the article), while receiving in return Fenech’s Porsche Panamera valued at €100,000.

Given that I was at the time the owner of Malta’s leading luxury car dealership, such a transaction was entirely normal, regular and above aboard.

Meanwhile, I paid the remaining balance on the property of €160,000 by way of cheque through my personal bank account.

All the above is supported by official deeds and documentation.

Whatever may have happened to that vehicle after the transaction, or whoever might have subsequently been photographed in it, is entirely unrelated to me and it is wholly inappropriate for a newspaper that purports to be professional to have mentioned this unnecessary and harmful detail in an article casting a shadow on my legitimate business dealings.

Several other assertions made in the article related to dealings with other individuals are also misleading or incorrect.

It is pertinent to reiterate that at no point in time have I been questioned by the police in relation to these matters; let alone have any steps been taken in my regard.

While I fully respect the function of investigative journalism, I believe it is highly unethical for the media to wrongfully invade the privacy to which every businessman or individual should be entitled.