Transport Malta stops car lease deal with abduction gang business

Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi revealed Transport Malta returned the 38 low emission vehicles to Christian Borg’s company, Princess Operations Limited, as part of a tender won in 2020.

Princess Operations Limited won a tender on 31 July 2020, for the leasing of 38 low emission motor vehicles: one cargo van and two self-drive vans. 

On Friday morning, Azzopardi said minutes before the press conference, he had attended a meeting at the FCID, where he discussed and provided proof of what he alleged in Parliament on Wednesday.  

Azzopardi had claimed that a racket of high-level officials at LESA and Transport Malta helped Christian Borg evade traffic fines incurred by people who leased cars from him.  

He had also said he had provided the FCID a recording of Christian Borg briefly mentioning his friendship with Prime Minister Robert Abela.

Azzopardi said he had a 50-minute meeting at the FCID, during which “I was asked to provide all the details that lead me to say what I said in Parliament”.

“I gave them all the names of those I’m aware of that were included in the racket and provided them with details about the unexplained wealth of these people. I also informed them that a person in the fine uplifting racket was calling people and asking people to cancel all the messages,” Azzopardi said.

He said that up till Friday, he was not contacted by Transport Malta or LESA.

When asked whether other people are involved, Azzopardi said the “racket” involves hundreds of cars for at least a five-year period. He said he believes more people are involved.

MaltaToday asked about Net TV’s story on Jason Farrugia, a person of trust employed within Carmelo Abela’s Ministry. Azzopardi said that Farrugia has been a member of the police corps in 2015 but was then employed as head of customer care of Konrad Mizzi’s former ministry.

“Carmelo Abela doesn’t know what his consultant is doing. Farrugia was retained on government payroll after his minister resigned. We should know why he is employed within the ministry and what type of work he is doing.”

PN Chief spokesperson Peter Agius said the PN believes that citizens have a right to know what is happening in the country, and to have politicians address their most concerning issues.

“The allegations against a person very close to the Prime Minister are very serious. Citizens pay their fines while over here we are speaking of €3 million in lifted fines by LESA and Transport Malta,” Agius said.

He stated that any company that wants a tender has to compete in a fair manner, and that rules should be observed.