Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1530801
GOZO minister Clint Camill- eri has rebutted claims that he was involved in any wrongdoing linked to the issuance of pon- toon spaces in Mgarr. He said this with close aides as the Nationalist Party's Sunday newspaper il-Mument accused the Gozo minister of being re- sponsible for the issuing of pon- toons for pleasure craft at the Mgarr port, in an area reserved for full-time and part-time fish- ermen. The allegations and claims were echoed by former Nationalist parliamentar- ian and Repubblika front- man Jason Azzopardi and PN leader Bernard Grech. Azzopardi, who has been a thorn in the side of the La- bour administration with his relentless campaigns, went one step further and said on Face- book that he had requested a magistrate to investigate allega- tions of corruption and money laundering. Though he did not refer direct- ly to Camilleri it was obvious that Azzopardi was referring to the Gozo minister. Camilleri has hit back claim- ing that all the allegations are baseless and without any truth in them. He has also pointed out that the pontoons in question did not fall under his authority and he argued that his wife, who is employed with Transport Mal- ta, does not run the department which manages the pontoons. Camilleri is reeling from the relentless onslaught on him and calls for his resignation, after his ministry had employed for a short period the former Tourism minister's partner Amanda Mus- cat. That employment had led in- dependent candidate Arnold Cassola to file a report with the Standard Commissioner on the case. The damning report published just after the government Budget was an embarrassing moment for the Abela administration. When it was later discovered that Amanda Muscat (partner to former Minister) Clayton Bartolo had also accepted pay- ments from a sponsor of the Malta Tourism Authority, Bar- tolo was left with no option but to resign. Nonetheless, Camilleri hung on to his post and refused to re- sign, a move that was supported by the Prime Minister Robert Abela himself. The embattled Gozo Minis- ter has told his aides that he is hurt by the coordinated attacks on him but is determined to fight back and prove the allega- tions made against him as false, GozoToday is informed. SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL FRIDAY 20 DECEMBER 2024 • ISSUE 025 • PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY gozotoday €1.00 Gozo Minister rebuts accusations on Mgarr port pontoon allocation PN leader and former PN MP fire accusations at Clint Camilleri Clint Camilleri (left) has denied that he accepted money or let alone was involved in decisions related to the issuing of pontoon space at the Mgarr port, despite claims by Opposition leader Bernard Grech (top, right) and former PN MP Jason Azzopardi (bottom, right)