Adrian Delia is business partner with Busuttil’s ex-brother in law

The PN’s leadership candidate Adrian Delia is not simply a litigation lawyer, but has involved himself in various property and business companies, a preliminary research into his company involvements show.

Delia has not yet opened himself up to PN voters by declaring his assets after Nationalist MP Chris Said put forward his own declarations in the first weeks of the leadership campaign.

Interestingly, Delia appears as a minority shareholder with PN leader Simon Busuttil’s former brother-in-law, Eucharist Bajada Jnr in the company Frankef Limited, and as director with him in the company Chris, Nicholas & Associates Company Limited. Delia is also a shareholder with Bajada senior in Patience Developments Limited.

Bajada was formerly the husband of Busuttil’s sister Diane, the fractious couple having made the headlines last year in a public altercation. Bajada had called the police after alleging his ex-wife had broken into his house, together with her father, beating up his 60-year-old maid and stealing files and computers, before attacking him and a lady friend of his as they arrived home. Her parting shot was throwing a large potted plant on his Mercedes. Later in court, the two sides agreed to bury the hatchet.

Adrian Delia is also involved with Mgarr Developments Ltd as a shareholder and director together with Aequitas Legal partner Georg Sapiano, and the Gozitan company Island Developments Ltd, also involved in construction.

Delia has admitted on TVM’s Xtra Sajf that he was involved as a 9% shareholder in a company that was limited to a redevelopment project.

Delia is also involved with his wife Nicole and Tonio Debono in Carnaby Limited, a company dealing with the importation of high quality wines.

Adrian Delia has so far committed to make a declaration of assets only if he is elected. A partner in the legal firm Aequitas with former PN candidate Georg Sapiano, the predecessor firm Sapiano & Associates had received some €890,000 in legal contracts by successive PN administrations according to parliamentary answers. One of the major awards by direct order was linked to a new proposed route system for the public bus company Arriva – the contract was worth €333,000.

“I have not been elected to a leadership position yet and have not been in public office to date,” Delia had told MaltaToday. “In preparation for my possible election, I am working on a divestiture of my professional and commercial interests that will come into effect as soon as, and if, I am elected. If that occurs, I shall make the appropriate declaration at once and shall disclose the terms of sale.”