Watch: PN MP Denies Portelli Funding Claims And Accuses Mark Camilleri Of ‘Smear Campaign’
Nationalist MP Alex Borg has denied a claim by Mark Camilleri that his election campaign was sponsored by major Gozitan developer Joseph Portelli.
In an interview with Lovin Malta, Borg said that while he has met Portelli a few times, the developer never gave him any money.
“I funded my election campaign by myself, through my own work and with some help from my family, and in fact I only spent peanuts,” he said.
He criticised Camilleri for tossing out “baseless allegations with no foundation in fact” and said the journalist and former Book Council chairman simply wanted to smear him.
“We have seen this repeatedly by Mark Camilleri, who singles out a person and invents a story about them without providing proof to back up his allegations,” he said.
Asked what he and Portelli discussed during their previous meetings, Borg said that the developer loves football and that he (Borg) feels it’s his political duty to gauge opinions from people from all walks of life.
“Ultimately, everyone’s ideas, good and bad, should be weighed out by politicians to form better policies that aren’t based on personal opinions but on the ideas of people we meet up with, from speculators, hotel owners and restaurant owners to lawyers, accountants and people in finance,” he said.
Portelli has often faced criticism for “ruining” Gozo’s landscape through his multiple developments, but Borg said he doesn’t like attacking people on a personal level.
Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri
Instead, he said that he views the recent appointment of Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri as Planning Minister as a golden opportunity for the island to revamp its planning game.
“I don’t want Gozo to become a Christmas crib but neither do I want to see speculation and pointless development that destroys Gozo’s identity. We need a specific policy for Gozo that safeguards it’s characteristics and ensures balance between planning and development.”
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