Bruised Delia claims news of his €7.2 million loans ‘unacceptable’

PN leadership candidate Adrian Delia has hit out at a report by Malta Independent columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia on a €7.2 million bank liability, by claiming the story was “not an acceptable way of reporting a sensitive political process.”

Delia is one of our candidates for the PN leadership contest, and questions have been raised about the lawyer’s assets and liabilities, after rival contestants Chris Said and Alex Perici Calascione made their own declarations of assets.

In a statement, Delia accused Caruana Galizia of carrying out “a personal and manipulative attack on me and his family.”

Delia said he has a minor shareholding of 9% in a Gozo property company, which he said has more assets than debts. “The value of this property owned by the company, by far exceeds the capital invested on this project and the remaining dues. Despite that I clearly explained this to Daphne Caruana Galizia, she chose not to publish this important fact.”

Delia said he will only published his declaration of assets if he is elected PN leader.

“These baseless attacks on my family and himself are not normal, and put forward a worrisome question: Why these kind of attacks, and who is behind them? This is all a waste of precious time during which they could be discussing political proposals for our party and country. Instead, we are asked to discuss people’s personal lives,” Delia said.

Delia said he had nothing to hide. “Anyone who is alleging otherwise is trying to deceive people. Now more than ever, we need a new way of doing politics.”

Delia said he would sell off all of his business interests if elected PN leader.

“The Nationalist Party cannot remain silent in front of those who want to keep pulling the strings whenever they want to. It needs a strong, united party that discusses politics for the people, and not about the people in politics. PN needs a new way, politics for the people, a bottom-to-top approach and not the other-way round where those in power dictate people’s thoughts,” Delia said.