Luke Chetcuti Declines To Explain Chat About Ministers And St George’s Bay Caught By French TV
Hugo Group CEO Luke Chetcuti has declined to explain a chat he had with a companion, caught on camera by a French TV programme, in which he said government ministers were considering expanding St George’s Bay so as to grant him a beach concession.
A spokesperson for the Hugo Group told Lovin Malta that Chetcuti isn’t at liberty to answer any questions related to the feature aired by French TV programme Enquête Exclusive.
At one point in the programme, Chetcuti could be seen chatting to a companion on the rooftop of the H Hotel in Paceville.
According to the French journalist, the businessman was complaining about a beach concession at St George’s Bay that was granted several years ago to the Eden Leisure Group, a business group owned by the Decesares.
He said he recently spoke about the issue over dinner with an unnamed minister, reportedly Economy Minister Chris Cardona, and that the minister had texted another minister, reportedly Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi.
“[Cardona] told him we must help the Chetcuti family…they have always helped us. The other minister said the beach was quite small but that he would see whether it could be enlarged.”
While the French TV programme bleeped out the names of the two ministers, both MaltaToday and Times of Malta reported they were references to Cardona and Mizzi.
Mizzi has denied planning to use his influence to expand St George’s Bay, while Cardona has said he regularly meets businesspeople but that he always follows due process.
Lovin Malta also asked Chetcuti how much money he and his business group have donated to political parties, but the businessman declined to comment on this count.