Updated 11.55am with Chamber of Advocates statement
A No Deposit Cars Malta poster targeting Jason Azzopardi should be removed immediately as it undermines a lawyer’s right to represent clients without being intimidated or threatened, the Chamber of Advocates said on Saturday.
The Chamber said that it would consider further steps if the company did not do so, in a statement which condemned the No Deposit Cars stunt.
“We condemn any attempt to intimidate or distract lawyers who are carrying out their professional work,” the Chamber said.
No Deposit Cars on Friday unveiled a large poster that sought to ridicule Azzopardi, a lawyer and former PN MP who is representing a group of people who intend to sue the company.
Azzopardi filed a judicial protest on 26 people’s behalf two weeks ago, giving No Deposit Cars notice that they intend to sue to rescind their contracts with the company and ask authorities to investigate it for fraud and tax evasion.
No Deposit Cars customers say the company installed GPS trackers on vehicles they purchased from the company, provided incorrect insurance paperwork and in some cases repossessed cars without informing them beforehand.
The company says the GPS trackers are mentioned in contracts and that the vehicles are technically its property until they are paid for in full.
PN: Company acting out of sense of impunity
No Deposit Cars is owned by Christian Borg, who is currently facing kidnapping charges. Its sole director is Joseph Camenzuli, who served as the Labour Party’s official photographer for several years.
Times of Malta revealed last year how Borg and Prime Minister Robert Abela were involved in a complex property deal that netted Abela €45,000.
In a statement on Saturday, the Nationalist Party highlighted Borg's ties to Abela and said it appeared they afforded him some protection.
“Christian Borg’s company is acting in an unacceptable manner for a democratic society which confirms that people close to Robert Abela and Joseph Muscat still enjoy impunity,” it said.
“We urge companies to act responsibly and to respect consumer rights, primarily that which allows customers to take legal action to protect their interests and appoint the lawyer of their choosing to represent them in court.”
Chamber:
That latter point was emphasised by the Chamber of Advocates in a statement of its own.
"It is a lawyer's duty to serve clients in the best possible way without being personally attacked," the Chamber said. "Nobody should undermine this fundamental right. Lawyers must be allowed to serve their professional roles freely without intimidation or threats, to ensure rule of law is upheld."
Refraining from such attacks was "a question of maturity," it said without mentioning No Deposit Cars directly.
Government tenders
Borg’s companies have secured a number of lucrative government tenders in recent years, with Transport Malta and LESA among the authorities to lease vehicles from him.
Borg managed to secure a €250,000 tender from Transport Malta in 2022 despite the authority having suspended the garage licence of one of his companies in 2019 following “numerous, repeated and serious” complaints from customers about his operations. The licence suspension was confirmed on appeal last month.
One of Borg’s companies was also poised to secure a €3 million tender to supply cars for judges and magistrates, but the company was disqualified following pressure from the judiciary.