PN’s dismissal of l-Orizzont email disproved by new disclosure

The Nationalist Party on Monday sought to put to rest claims that it still owed construction magnate Zaren Vassallo money over a €250,000 zero interest loan effected in 2012, but now questions are being raised on the veracity of these statements.

Confusion reigned over whether the loan had been repaid in full, with conflicting reports emerging in the media. Yesterday, the PN presented a letter – but refused to have it published – aimed at confirmed that a last payment was done in August 2016. It came after l-Orizzont published a reply from PN executive president Ann Fenech stating that some payments had yet to be settled.

Fenech insisted with MaltaToday that her reply to the GWU-owned newspaper did not refer specifically to the Vassallo loan, but also included pending payments for services rendered by the party benefactor.

The PN refused to describe the nature of the services rendered and the amount of pending bills.

PN’s dismissal of Orizzont email disproved by new disclosure

However, l-Orizzont published its original email sent to Fenech, with the questions showing that the newspaper was specifically asking about the loan. Adding to the confusion, was a report by the Malta Independent who amended an original report stating that the loan had not yet been settled. In an updated version, the newspaper later that the loan had been paid in full.

The l-Orizzont email was first mentioned on Monday, as justice minister Owen Bonnici called on the PN to publish proof that a €250,000 loan that Vassallo had made to the party in 2012, had been paid back in full.

MaltaToday was invited to the PN’s headquarters to view a letter, dated 1 August 2016, which had been accompanied by a cheque for €165,000, “being the last payment in full and final settlement for the original loan of €250,000 given to Media.Link Communications Co. Ltd. on 2 July 2012 by the Vassallo Builders Group.”

The letter was signed by Vassallo and the party’s financial controller, Malcolm Custo.

Fenech insisted this was evidence that the loan had been repaid in full in August. She said that an email released by L-Orizzont yesterday was not referring to Vassallo’s loan.

“That email referred to outstanding bills in general and had nothing to do with the €250,000 loan,” she said, referring to replies she gave to l-Orizzont.

The PN’s secretary general Rosette Thake confirmed that there were still outstanding bills payable to Vassallo Group who, like other creditors, was still owed for services rendered.

But L-Orizzont, today, published the journalist’s original email to Fenech, in which it is abundantly clear he was asking specifically about Vassallo’s loan.

“I have been instructed to ask you whether the PN had repaid Nazzareno Vassallo €250,000, which he had loaned the PN through his construction company in relation to the situation at Media.Link Communications. If yes, how much has the PN paid back Vassallo (including interest, if any) and if not, how much has been paid so far?” the email reads.