Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1448619
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 FEBRUARY 2022 NEWS CHRISTIAN Borg runs several car businesses but the man is cur- rently facing kidnapping charges. Luke Vella pieces together a pic- ture of shameless wealth, exotic animals and customers left reeling over defective cars Five men charged with the ab- duction of another man in Rabat can be traced back to a car hire business empire with a host of negative online reviews from cus- tomers. Some of the men are involved with each other in a complex web of companies that sell luxury sec- ond-hand cars, are involved in the car hire business and possibly property. Christian Borg, 28, from Swie- qi, Thorne Mangion, 27, from Qormi, Tyson Grech 26, from Isla, Burton Azzopardi, 20, from Bormla and Jeremy Borg, 20, from Qormi were arrested and charged after the abducted man escaped and told his story to the police. The victim recounted in court last Friday how he was beaten, threatened with having his fingers cut off, and having his sister raped. Christian Borg and Tyson Grech are very close friends and partners in the car hire business. On social media they are seen bonding over some of the most expensive cars and going on holidays together. Grech is well known with the police, having been arrested and eventually acquitted of an at- tempted hold-up in Paceville. But in a separate case, he has been sentenced to six years in prison for rape – but the case is being appealed. Grech is the director of Grech Rental Ltd. On social media, he can be seen at the wheel of his ex- pensive cars or posing with a lion on a rooftop. But the web of companies in which Grech is involved also ex- tends to Cyprus. Princess & Maze Holdings is a company registered in Cyprus, but is described as a branch of Grech Rental Ltd. This Cypriot company is under the di- rectorship of Mark Mussett and Christian Borg. Mark Mussett, 27, is the direc- tor of Maze Car Rental and Maze Garage and previously served as a secretary for Princess Operations Ltd. Flaunting wealth Christian Borg is also a recidi- vist. In 2015 he was found guilty of breaking car hire laws, when changing the car registration plates from one car to the other and using unauthorised number plates. In 2021 he was found guilty of perjury, when offering false tes- timony in court. Borg flaunts his wealth openly on social media. He owns highly expensive cars and exotic animals. In one picture he is seen driving a Lamborghini with a lion cub on his lap. According to the Malta Busi- ness Registry, Borg is director of No Deposit Cars Malta Ltd, Zing Cabs Ltd, Zing Rental Ltd, Prin- cess Holdings Ltd, Princess Oper- ations Ltd, Princess Construction Ltd, co-director of Princess & Maze Holdings Limited (regis- tered in Cyprus) and sharehold- er of his father's company RCMJ Company Ltd. He is also behind franchises like Gold Car Rental and Sicily by Car Malta. Borg also owns two car- hire showrooms, No Deposit Cars Malta in Qormi, and Easy Finance Motor House in Burmarrad. Gold Car rental is wholly owned by Antoine Borg but has as its director, 25-year-old Luke John Milton, a business partner of Christian Borg. In 2021, Milton was charged with fraudulently obtaining $700,000 from a car dealer and storing them in a crypto wallet. Before this incident Milton used to be the director of most compa- nies, currently owned by Borg. Milton is also co-accused with the other five of the Rabat ab- duction incident. He is yet to be charged, as he is currently in hos- pital. In a video uploaded online in 2020, Borg and Milton were seen threatening and assaulting two men, after an altercation on the road. The two men, of African or- igin, couldn't move their car, as it was blocked by a vehicle, parked in the middle of the road. After tooting their horn at the driver of the car, this led to a hostile con- frontation with a group of men, including Borg, Milton and some of their showroom colleagues. The victims started filming the incident and Milton is seeing car- rying a metal rod in his hand and arguing with one of the men. Borg is heard calmly refusing to move the car, before aggressively hitting the phone of the person filming, and uttering foul language at him. Online reviews raise questions The internet offers testimony to many negative experiences of cus- tomers of No Deposit Cars Malta, Easy Finance Motor House Bur- marrad, Gold Car Malta and Sicily By Car Malta. The reviews are terrible with many accusing the companies of cheating, fraud and scams. Many also warn readers to stay away from their operations, calling Borg and others, "criminals" and "dangerous people". Christian Borg and his former associate Ray Bezzina were be- hind the Green Motion car hire franchise in Malta, but the inter- national franchise later terminat- ed the contract. "Despite our best efforts, the behaviour of the for- mer franchisees and their attitude and treatment of Green Motion's customers became intolerable Rabat abduction: who are the men behind a car hire business empire? Christian Borg runs several car businesses but the man is currently facing kidnapping charges. Luke Vella pieces together a picture of shameless wealth, exotic animals and customers left reeling over defective cars Outside the No Deposit Cars compound: Christian Borg and Tyson Grech (Photo: Facebook), and left, Borg is a lover of exotic animals Below: Borg is a fan of Robert Abela, the Labour prime minister, who was one of his lawyers in the past and whom he describes as a "good friend; on 12 January 2020 he celebrated his election as Labour leader and PM by pasting his photo on his car bonnet