The PN leader declared an income of around €6,500 back in 2009, while he was working as a househusband, but this climbed significantly in the following years.

Earlier today, Abela was questioned by journalists about a MaltaToday report into how he had purchased a Żejtun villa back in 2017, only three months after illegal alterations and additions to it had been regularised by the Planning Authority.

Back then, Abela’s firm provided legal advice to the PA but it wasn’t involved in the issuing of the permit.

The Prime Minister today denied that he was involved in the permit issuing process in any way and warned that Grech had committed illegalities when building his Mosta home, only regularising them after he decided to become PN leader.

However, the PN insisted that the two cases aren’t alike at all.

“Bernard Grech’s case was in a developable zone and only involved small internal alterations and additions,” the PN said. “Robert Abela’s case was in ODZ and his permit breached the ODZ policy that only allows 200 square metres of ODZ development, contrary to the 352 square metres approved.”

“Moreover, to justify the permit, the case officer referred to the demolition of a 400 square metre shed which had already been demolished 20 years earlier. It was never mentioned that it was demolished 20 years ago and so he deceived the board before they took their decision.”