Prime minister Robert Abela misled journalists asking about the government’s decision to award a €250,000 tender to a company solely owned by an alleged kidnapper with past business links to the prime minister himself.

The tender, issued through the government’s Department of Contracts on behalf of Transport Malta, was a call for the leasing of a total of 38 low-emission vehicles, one cargo van and two ‘self-drive vans’ from Princess Operations Ltd, revealed by The Shift on Wednesday.

Questioned on the matter by the press today, Abela said that a civil court ruling had “ordered” Transport Malta to award the tender to Princess Operations Ltd, the company owned by alleged kidnapper Christian Borg, further claiming that “the moment government entities begin ignoring the sentence of our courts, we will have either anarchy or regression of the rule of law”.

Yet the civil court ruling referred to by Abela, appeal no. 271/2021/1, is one that refers to a challenge from a rival rental company, Davico Ltd. At no point did the court “order” Transport Malta to award the 41-vehicle tender to Borg’s company.

The tender awarded to Princess Operations Ltd.

The appeal instituted by Davico Ltd was filed in order to challenge the decision taken by the public contracts authorities, which had refused the appellant’s objection to Transport Malta’s decision to award the contract to Borg’s company on the basis of it being the cheapest bid and doubts raised about whether Princess Operations Ltd could supply the requested vehicles.

Former PN MP Jason Azzopardi was one of the people who were quick to flag Abela’s misleading claim on the tender awarded to Borg, who stands accused of kidnapping and threatening an individual as well as drug smuggling and money laundering. Investigations by the police into Borg’s affairs are said to be ongoing.

https://www.facebook.com/AzzopardiJason/posts/534090951420974

Erm no. The Court merely ruled on a challenge by another tenderer, not on whether a gangster awaiting trial for kidnap & money laundering and with a tome-like criminal record should be awarded tenders to supply the government with leased vehicles.https://t.co/66b0enboHL

— BugM (@bugdavem) April 14, 2022

The owner of Princess Operations Ltd, Christian Borg, is one of a gang of car dealers charged by the police over a botched kidnapping on 21 January, and is known to have close links to the Labour Party as well as being involved in a property deal connected with Abela.