Why Christian Borg’s bullying and threats are no longer OK

Former Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi is a divisive political figure and there are many things that I could criticise him for.

But no matter how distasteful he can make himself out to be, the decision to attack him for his legal work in representing clients against a rogue company led by a dangerous and uncouth character should not be tolerated.  

He is a lawyer and as a lawyer he has every right to represent individuals. I am being very Voltairean here - I may disagree with what he has said, or done, but I will defend his right to say it or do it.

Several have felt cheated and wronged by the car dealership known as ‘No Deposit Cars Malta’, whose ultimate beneficial owner is Christian Borg.

This young man, who seems to have made a fortune overnight and flaunts it like a clown, reached stardom when he literally kidnapped a man he accused of stealing a van of his.

As the proverbial shit hit the fan, it transpired that Christian Borg had a number of contracts with a number of government entities, some of which were revisited or terminated after the media raised a storm about this.

Only last week, the Appeals Court upheld a decision by the Public Contracts Review Board to disqualify Christian Borg’s Princess Operations Limited from a multi-million-euro car leasing tender for the judiciary. 

The Court Services Agency had issued a call for tender in May 2022 ‘for the Lease of 48 Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles for the Members of the Judiciary’.

Three companies had submitted a bid, with Princess Operations coming in as the cheapest bidder at €2.6 million.

Were it not for the media, the 29-year-old Christian Borg would have sailed on making money off everyone, unperturbed by the accusations.

Before a banner was erected on the show room of No Deposit Cars Malta Borg portraying Jason Azzopardi as a priest, Borg had already singled out two MaltaToday journalists Luke Vella and Karl Azzopardi in a seemingly harmless commentary.

They had followed the saga of clients who had been cheated by the company. And the very fact that Christian Borg has nefarious links to very uncolourful characters brings into question whether we should take this kind of ‘pressure’ lightly.  

Christian Borg thinks he is powerful enough to do as he pleases and say what he wants. In his eyes, the bad guys are the journalists who report on him and the lawyer who acts on behalf of his clients.

When at MaltaToday we report people for having broken the law we are seen as the assholes and the others as the victims.

God forbid something happens to any of the journalists or lawyers involved in this case.

The responsibility to ensure nothing happens lies with the government and the police who have to show zero tolerance to Christian Borg and his companies. The fact that Borg used Robert Abela at one point for his legal services and even purchased a share of a property from the Abelas makes it unavoidable for Abela now as Prime Minister to publicly disown him.

We need to ensure that crooks that come by the name of Christian Borg are not allowed or given the space to put more pressure on journalists such as Luke Vella and Karl Azzopardi and yes, even lawyer Jason Azzopardi.

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When Michael Stivala as MDA president argued that environmental NGOs were paid to by rival competitors, all hell broke loose.  On Saturday the Voluntary Organisations Commissioner said he received ‘evidence’ by Stivala and it followed that he would investigate.

The so called evidence is something which needs to be verified. Basically, there has to be proof that an action against a proposed development was motivated by funding directly coming from a competitor.

I doubt whether Stivala has that kind of proof.

Yet there is little doubt in my mind, that many developers are motivated to help activists or residents to raise hell with projects that could impact their own projects.

The problem lies when an NGO chooses to shut its mouth on one project and not another. That environmental NGOs may receive funding from potential questionable sources is not impossible. Indeed why should it not happen.

The whole issue is open for discussion. 

As a media, we receive advertising from sources which this newspaper editorially does not agree with or support. We frequently get flak for that, but that is why the proof of the pudding is in the eating – our editorial remains independent at all times.

There is also the issue of revolving doors, with former journalists or editors (some who spent years castigating big business or those who served big business) serving big business and running marketing and content campaigns in return for handsome payouts. 

Beyond the implications of ethical standards, conflicts of interest and biased campaigning or reporting, there is one very crucial underlying consideration - the construction and development frenzy engulfing these islands, whether by ‘good or bad developers’ is suffocating this land to the extent that we all want to reconsider staying on.  

At the end of his investigation, VO Commissioner Jesmond Saliba may well just remind us that the complex role of lobbyists and pressure groups has nothing whatsoever to do with the shabbiness and appearance of this country under siege from developers.

A Happy Easter to all!