Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1466806
NEWS 5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 4 MAY 2022 THE Nationalist Party's admin- istrative council has declared its unanimous confidence in incum- bent leader Bernard Grech, after former MP Jason Azzopardi broke ranks with the party and resigned on Monday evening. Azzopardi, a longtime MP who failed to be re-elected on the ninth and fourth districts, was set to face the council to back up allegations that he had hindered some form of donation tied to the PN's support of a presidential pardon bid by Tu- mas magnate Yorgen Fenech. Azzopardi claimed the request was made during a December 2021 lunch Bernard Grech had with a group of six businessmen, among them the relatives of Fenech, but not specifically members of the Tumas Group. 'Blue Hero' to 'expired politician': Jason Azzopardi's troubled rela- tionship with PN leaders "Azzopardi has failed to substan- tiate the allegations he made on so- cial media in the PN's ethics, disci- pline and social media committee," the PN's administrative council said yesteday. "No donations were given by the Fenech family in the last years," the council said, adding that the allega- tions of donations to the PN were also discussed in the council. Bernard Grech will be running as the sole contestant in a mandatory leadership election after the party's election loss in the 2022 general elections. On the warpath Azzopardi, on the warpath against Grech after accusing the party of not supporting his re-election bid, had already posted a declaration on Facebook earlier this week suggest- ing Grech was approached to sup- port a presidential pardon. MaltaToday is informed Azzo- pard is referring to Yorgen Fenech, who is accused of mastermind- ing the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Azzopar- di is a lawyer for the Caruana Gal- izia family. After the allegation, Grech said Azzopardi would have to substan- tiate his allegations in the PN. But the former MP has decided not to stay on as a PN member to face an internal inquiry, and instead posted his allegations to Facebook. Incensed ay Grech's suggestion last week that his political career had 'expired', Azzopardi hit back by claiming the PN leader was solicit- ed by Fenech's relatives to support the accused's bid for a pardon, at a lunch with other businesspeople to solicit financial aid for the PN. Azzopardi today said Grech met the six businesspeople during a De- cember 2021 lunch, among them "two male businessmen, relatives of a person being tried criminally in connection with an assassination". MaltaToday is informed the busi- nessmen were cousins of Yorgen Fenech, who are no longer part of the Tumas business group which Fenech was the CEO of. "This fact alone was confirmed yesterday afternoon during a PN administrative council meeting in which the PN leader himself was asked about it," Azzopardi said. Azzopardi alleged that at this De- cember meeting, Grech was also given a monetary donation for the PN's fundraising telethon – but he failed to specify who gave the do- nation. "I am informed that before the start of this meal, the PN leader was taking to the side by these two relatives on the subject of a pardon for the accused. I am informed that the PN leader gave his assurance that if he had to be prime minister, he would be ready to recommend the award of a pardon in this case," Azzopardi declared. The former MP also claimed that another 'appliances' businessman present for the meeting "whose name starts with O" told Grech he would never vote for the PN as long as Azzopardi was an MP. He claimed Grech replied by saying: "Speak to me after the election," implying that the PN would not put its efforts behind Azzopardi's re-election in the 2022 election. Azzopardi insisted he knew this information from three different sources with direct access to the dinner party guests and Fenech's cousins. Grech has previously said he would not rule out granting Fenech a pardon if other avenues towards getting to the bottom of the case are exhausted. "I do not agree with this," Azzo- pardi said today on Facebook, "and I expressed myself as much about this. To me this is unacceptable behaviour. All politicians must be careful about not appearing to be compromising with mafiosi. Crim- inals' only audiences should be the courts, not the parties." "Even worse, it gives the impres- sion that the parties' need to collect money from those who can afford it the most also gives rich criminals preferential access. Only the PN leader knows whether his decision to publicly argue for a pardon for this individual was the result of do- nations, or whether the two events are unconnected." Azzopardi said he had internally criticized both Grech's declaration on the pardon as well as well as the assurance to Fenech's cousins. "They confirm the politician's vul- nerability to the insidiousness of criminals." No money donated from Yorgen Fenech's family, says PN administrative council 11 February 2020: Blue heroes Jason Azzopardi publishes the names of 17 members of the PN parliamentary group who want Adrian Delia out. Azzopardi dubs the rebels 17 Blue Heroes. 31 July 2020: Azzopardi vs Delia – round 1 PN leader Adrian Delia files a judicial protest against Jason Azzopardi, threatening defamation proceedings after the latter challenges Delia to resign over claims that he had exchanged hundreds of WhatsApp messages with Yorgen Fenech. 1 August 2020: Council opts for leadership race The PN general council supports a bid for a new leadership contest rather than a simple vote of confidence in Adrian Delia. The decision comes after Delia loses a vote of confidence within the parliamentary group and the executive. Delia says he will contest the leadership again. 3 October 2020: Grech is leader Bernard Grech is elected leader of the PN after beating incumbent Adrian Delia in an election where party members vote. 21 March 2021: Pardon for Yorgen In an interview with Lovin Malta founder Chris Peregin, Bernard Grech says he will be willing to grant a pardon to Yorgen Fenech if it helps to reveal all the truth. 24 March 2021: 'Cheap and immature' Prime Minister Robert Abela hits out at Bernard Grech, calling him "cheap and immature" for floating the idea of granting a presidential pardon to Yorgen Fenech. 25 March 2021: Grech doubles-down on pardon In an interview on Xtra, Bernard Grech doubles-down on willingness to grant Yorgen Fenech a pardon if it helps to out all the truth. 5 May 2021: Azzopardi vs Delia – round 2 Jason Azzopardi wins a libel case against Vincent Borg, a close aide to former PN leader Adrian Delia, and implies that Borg was manipulated and used. Delia challenges Azzopardi to sue him over claims that the former leader had exchanged hundreds of WhatsApp messages with murder suspect Yorgen Fenech. 6 May 2021: Azzopardi climbs down The public spat on Facebook between Jason Azzopardi and Adrian Delia is referred to the PN executive by leader Bernard Grech. But just before the meeting starts, the two warring MPs issue a joint statement in which Azzopardi retracts allegations that Delia had exchanged hundreds of messages with Yorgen Fenech and that Delia was in the pocket of businesspeople. 19 August 2021: The judge and the boat Judge Giovanni Grixti is expected to rule on a request for bail by Yorgen Fenech. Matthew Caruana Galizia publishes a boat transfer certificate showing that Grixti had bought a yacht from Fenech's father, George, in 2008. The implication is that Grixti cannot be impartial. Jason Azzopardi writes to the chief justice about this and claims that Grixti used to consort regularly with Ninu Fenech, Yorgen Fenech's uncle, at least until 2012. Grixti eventually denies the bail request. 10 September 2021: Reported to disciplinary commission Chamber of Advocates reports Jason Azzopardi to the Commission for the Administration of Justice over comments he made about Judge Giovanni Grixti. 26 March 2022: General election Jason Azzopardi fails to get elected in the general election that is won by the Labour Party by a landslide. Both parties lose votes from the 2017 election but the PN's losses are much heavier, leading to a record gap of 39,000 votes. 12 April 2022: Out and uncomfortable Jason Azzopardi fails to get elected in two casual elections held on the 9th District, and bows out of politics. In a statement on Facebook he says the conclusions of various magisterial inquiries "into public individuals in different parties" in the coming months will show "why I was uncomfortable for many and why there were continuous attacks against me from the Labour Party and elsewhere". 30 April 2021: Expiry dates and toxic donations In a radio interview Bernard Grech is asked about Jason Azzopardi and implies that politicians have to realise when their expiry date is up. Azzopardi does not take kindly to the comment and implies that he had stood in the way of a donation to the PN "from someone who wanted a presidential pardon for their relative". 1 May 2021: Ultimatum Bernard Grech calls an emergency meeting of the PN Administrative Council over Azzopardi's claims. Council gives Azzopardi 24 hours to substantiate his claims in front of the party's disciplinary and ethics board. Timeline