‘If I’m Right, ADPD’s Leaders Must Resign’: Minister Bartolo Challenges Green Party Over Wedding Claims
Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo has thrown down the gauntlet to ADPD, challenging the green party’s administration to resign en masse if an investigation they requested into alleged misuse of public funds for his wedding doesn’t find any wrongdoing.
“After ADPD requested an investigation by the National Audit Office into the alleged misuse of public funds for my wedding and after considering everything that has been said in the public domain, I believe this is an ideal case where politicians should be held accountable for their words and investigations they request,” Bartolo said.
“It is natural that I will be asked to resign if I misused public funds, as is being alleged. If this is the case, I won’t be the one to harm the credibility of Robert Abela’s government.”
“It is therefore also natural that, if nothing is found, the entire ADPD administration should resign. Since they requested the investigation as a party, the party’s administration must shoulder responsibility.”
“I am so convinced by what I am saying that I urge the Auditor General to start investigating immediately, and I will wholly cooperate with him. The days of everyone shooting out investigation requests to cast doubt and raise suspicion must end. Those who cast a stone shouldn’t hide their hand like cowards but must shoulder responsibility for their actions.”
ADPD’s letter to the Auditor General, which followed a story in The Shift News, warns that Bartolo held his wedding at a venue in Manoel Island that had been set up for the Malta Film Awards, organised by the Malta Film Commission, which falls under his remit as Tourism Minister.
However, Bartolo said he used a different part of Manoel Island and that he and his wife paid for the entire wedding from their pockets.
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