Adrian Delia has branded the stories about him appearing on Daphne Caruana Galizia’s blog as “tales”, insisting they are trying to paint an untrue picture.
In a hastily called press conference this afternoon, the Nationalist Party leadership contender denied he ever was in receipt of rental money for property held in London.
Dr Delia said some 20 years ago he provided legal services to a client who owned one of the properties in London, which Ms Caruana Galizia has alleged was being used for prostitution purposes.
However, the lawyer said that his client had taken legal action against one of the tenants for using the rented out apartments for illicit means.
“I had roped in British lawyers to take up my client’s case against one of the tenants,” Dr Delia said, adding that the money to buy the property had come from Bank of Valletta.
The lawyer insisted he was bound by client confidentiality and could not speak at liberty.
Nobody from the leadership even bothered to ask to meet me and at the least seek my explanation on what is being alleged
“My client, the landlord, had also taken out an insurance policy on the building, which specifically barred him from using the property for illicit means,” Dr Delia said at the PN club in Birkirkara.
He insisted there was “absolutely no reason” why he should pull out of the leadership race, insisting that under his stewardship the PN’s agenda will no longer be set by Ms Caruana Galizia.
The journalist has alleged that the Dr Delia used to receive money for rent in a bank account held in Jersey. Ms Caruana Galizia accused the lawyer of aiding and abetting money laundering and suggested he had meetings with Maltese Soho kingpin Frank Mifsud, known as Big Frank, some 12 years ago.
Dr Delia denied all the accusations, insisting they were part of a series of “lies” peddled by someone, who is using Ms Caruana Galizia to undermine his leadership bid.
He also denied that Marco Barbara, Economy Minister Chris Cardona’s driver, was a close associate of him, adding that the journalist was disingenuous to use a photo taken with Birkirkara football fans to make the association.
Ms Caruana Galizia has alleged that Mr Barbara held the freehold of the apartment block in Soho from which prostitutes’ takings were deposited in Dr Delia’s bank account in Jersey.
“Marco Barbara is not a client of mine, was never one and is not a close associate as alleged,” Dr Delia said.
Asked who the hidden hand behind these allegations was, Dr Delia told journalists to put that question to Ms Caruana Galizia.
Asked whether the current leadership was involved, Dr Delia said he would not speculate about the matter but expressed regret at the fact that apart from fellow leadership hopeful Frank Portelli, none of the other candidates and no one from the leadership expressed solidarity with him.
“Nobody from the leadership even bothered to ask to meet me and at the least seek my explanation on what is being alleged,” he said.
The press conference ended just before a PN statement said that the administrative council had received a request to meet and discuss the allegations being made in Dr Delia’s regard.