“I was flabbergasted and told Zammit Dimech that there must have been a misunderstanding… that the case was against ElectroGas, not in favour, but he said he understood me well.”

“I told him I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t file the case, that I was doing my job and that the PN was investigating the same contract at the Public Accounts Committee. Zammit Dimech told me he knows but was just relaying what Grech told him.”

“I asked him where my conflict of interest was and he didn’t respond but simply told me ‘Jason, isma’ minni, taqlax inkwiet (‘Listen to me, don’t start any trouble’)

Azzopardi said the PN’s decision caused him “huge distress and sleepless nights” and that his decision to remain silent for a year and only speak about it when questioned shows how loyal he was to the party.

“I still cannot understand what my conflict of interest was,” he added.

Debono ended up signing Repubblika’s constitutional application by himself in the case, which was filed against the State, Enemalta, and ARMS.

The case calls for the scrapping of the ElectroGas power station as well as compensation on the grounds that the deal benefitted private interests over the national interest, therefore subjecting the activists to “exaggerated and high electricity bills”.

Azzopardi ended up joining Repubblika’s lawsuit after he wasn’t elected to Parliament via casual election.

Contacted by Lovin Malta, a PN spokesperson denied that Grech advised Azzopardi not to get involved in Repubblika’s court case.

“The advice in question was given to Jason Azzopardi by then Secretary-General Francis Zammit Dimech, whose sole motivation was to avoid any potential or perceived conflict of interest between Dr. Azzopardi’s role as an Opposition Spokesperson and as a lawyer appearing in this case,” he said.

“The friendly advice was given with utmost good intentions.”

In September 2020, just over a week before he was elected leader, Grech pledged that a court case against ElectroGas would be one of his main priorities, but this promise never materialised.

Nevertheless, the PN insisted that it still took action against the deal, including pledging investigating it within the PAC, pledging that a future PN government will terminate the contract and calling on the government to publish the contract in full and to set up a public inquiry to investigate it.

The ElectroGas consortium is composed of energy giant Siemens, Azeri state-owned Socar and GEM Holdings, a company set up by three major Maltese businesses- the Tumas Group, the Gasan Group and CP Holdings. 

Yorgen Fenech, who has been charged with the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, owns shares in GEM Holdings. 

Last month, Azzopardi claimed that Fenech’s relatives had donated money to the PN in return for the party campaigning for the murder suspect to be given a presidential pardon. 

After the PN gave him a 24-hour ultimatum to substantiate his claims in front of an internal discipline and ethics commission, Azzopardi resigned as a PN member. 

PN deputy leader Robert Arrigo also recently reportedly stated during an administrative meeting that the party had received donations from Ray Fenech – CEO of the Tumas Group, uncle of Yorgen Fenech and one of three ElectroGas directors – via a Qormi-based intermediary.

However, Arrigo retracted this statement following an internal review of the PN’s donations and Ray Fenech denied donating any money to PN or PL in recent years.

Cover photo: Main photo: The ElectroGas power station (Credit: ElectroGas Malta) 

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