Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1532501
5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 19 FEBRUARY 2025 NEWS KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST The Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter will receive offers for the sale or lease of a built plot located on Triq ix-Xatt, corner with Triq il-Madonna tas-Sacro Cuor, Tas-Sliema. Further details may be obtained from the administrator by sending an email to pcvella@metropolitanchapter.com Interested parties should submit their offer to the Administrative Secretary at the Archbishop's Curia in Floriana by Monday 10 March 2025 at 11am local time. Offers should be deposited in the appropriate box on the first floor. Only offers received through this box will be considered. Diocesan policies for the sale or lease of property apply. The right is reserved to refuse all offers, even the most financially advantageous one. LABOUR MPs on the Public Accounts Committee on Tues- day, blocked questions regarding football tickets for Manchester United games for use by the Mal- ta Tourism Authority. The objection was to questions committee chairperson Darren Carabott (PN) made to a tourism ministry official in relation to a sponsorship agreement between the MTA and Manchester Utd. Labour MPs Glenn Bedingfield, Naomi Cachia, Amanda Spiteri Grech and Alex Muscat, agreed with scrutiny of the sponsorship agreement. But they insisted the match tickets, which were dis- bursed by the football club, did not concern public funds and fell outside the PAC's remit. "Procedurally, the match tick- ets, fall outside the PAC's remit, which is to scrutinise public funds," Bedingfield insisted. Carabott requested informa- tion as to how many Manchester United match tickets were dis- tributed by the MTA, who ben- efitted from them, how was the choice of recipients made and whether any public expenditure was involved. Carabott insisted the provision of the match tickets came as a result of the sponsorship deal between the MTA and the Eng- lish football club and thus did fall within the remit of the PAC. With government MPs insisting this issue fell outside the PAC's remit, a vote was taken and Car- abott's questions were effectively blocked. Government enjoys a majority in the PAC despite this being the only parliamentary committee chaired by an Opposition MP. PN MPs Graham Bencini and Claudette Buttigieg also sit on the committee. The commercial agreement be- tween the MTA and Manchester United was renewed in 2022 for another five years for an undis- closed sum. Dubbed as a part- nership agreement, the deal sees the VisitMalta brand receiving exposure during the club's home matches and its digital marketing channels, social media and on the printed media. The original agreement had been signed in 2019 and lasted for three years. Government has never disclosed how much it spent on the deal. The PAC is scrutinising the National Audit Office's report concerning the film industry and the Malta Film Commis- sion. The PAC is also looking into the accounts of the author- ities which fall under the minis- tries of tourism and Gozo for the years 2020-2024. The latter part emerges from the annual NAO report on public accounts that is distinct from the film industry report. Labour MPs object to questions on Manchester Utd match tickets, insisting the issue fell outside the Public Accounts Committee remit • Opposition wanted to know who benefitted from match tickets and on what basis was choice made Labour MPs block questions on Manchester Utd match tickets to tourism authority Public Accounts Committee Christian Borg acquitted of perjury after prosecution fails to present court transcript A court has acquitted business- man Christian Borg of perjury charges, after the prosecution failed to provide enough evi- dence to sufficiently prove its case. Borg was accused of giving false testimony in a civil case before magistrate Gabriella Vella in Jan- uary 2021. The allegations arose after the magistrate herself filed a complaint, prompting criminal proceedings. The prosecution failed to sub- mit the transcript of Borg's testi- mony in front of magistrate Vella needed to establish perjury. Although prosecutors submit- ted affidavits and official docu- ments, their inability to provide the verbatim record of Borg's statement weakened its case. As a result, the court ruled that the charges were not proven to the legal standard required and ac- quitted Borg. Borg first gained national atten- tion in 2022 when he was among four men charged in a botched kidnapping, during which they al- legedly threatened to torture their victim and rape his sister. Last year, Borg and his associ- ates were charged over tax eva- sion and money laundering. A court had heard that his construc- tion and rental car companies had claimed VAT refunds on invoices, issued at a time when the issuing person had in fact been behind bars. In 2018 when he was already an MP, Prime Minister Robert Abela netted €45,000 from a property deal with Borg. Abela served as a lawyer to Borg, as well as the Plan- ning Authority's legal consultant in the past. Lawyers Stefano Filletti and Charles Mercieca represented his defense. Christian Borg walking out of court (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) MTA officials and then tourism minister Clayton Bartolo at Old Trafford back in 2022 when the Manchester United- VisitMalta partnership agreement was renewed for another five years (Photo: MTA)