Accused kidnapper Christian Borg poised to win deal to supply cars to the judiciary

Tista’ taqra dan l-artiklu bil-Malti hawn.

All of Malta’s judges and magistrates may soon be being driven around in cars owned by Christian Borg – the car dealer and close friend of Prime Minister Robert Abela – who is currently facing charges of kidnapping and under police investigation over drug dealing and money laundering rackets.

The Shift has learned that the Court Services Agency, the entity that administers the court, is set to assign Princess Operations Ltd a 2.5 million contract for the lease of 48 plug-in hybrid cars to be used by members of the judiciary and their families over the next five years.

Following the issue of a tender last May, three companies applied to supply cars to the judiciary. Although the market value of the deal was estimated by the court at 3.1 million, the company owned by Borg, Princess Operations, was able to place a bid for just 2.5 million, putting it in pole position to win the tender.

Court sources told The Shift that while the tender is still under evaluation, “it is most likely that the alleged accused criminal will soon be owning the judges’ cars”. 

“Many members of the judiciary are not very happy with the situation and are putting pressure to stop this nonsense,” the sources said.

Princess Operations was allowed to bid for the tender, issued last month, even though Borg, its owner, is facing serious criminal charges. 

Following his arraignment in court last January, Borg resigned as director of his companies and hired Joe Camenzuli – a Labour insider and official photographer of the Party – in his stead.

 

Joe Camenzuli is alleged to have good connections with some members of the judiciary

Apart from the ongoing charges over kidnapping, Borg is reportedly under investigation over various alleged criminal rackets including drug dealing and money laundering. The 29-year-old has accumulated a multi-million-euro personal asset portfolio.

He was convicted of tampering with car licence plates in 2015 and of perjury last year. 

Still, his companies, which also included the ‘Goldcar’ rental franchise and now the ‘Sicily by Car’ franchise, were on the receiving end of multi-million-euro government contracts and direct orders, particularly from Transport Malta and LESA – the traffic warden agency.

Following his arraignment, it emerged that Borg was one of Prime Minister Robert Abela’s clients and that the accused criminal regarded Abela as one of his best friends.

It was also revealed that Abela went into business with the same accused criminal over a property deal in Zabbar through which the prime minister made 45,000. Abela never explained the reason for this deal, which was made when he was the Planning Authority’s legal counsel. 

Sources told The Shift that apart from the scandal of having members of the judiciary driven around in cars belonging to an alleged criminal – “something normally associated with the Mafia abroad,” the tender contravenes government environmental policy.

Only last week, Minister Miriam Dalli said that no more subsidies will be given for plug-in hybrid cars, as only fully electric cars will help to further cut emissions and meet Malta’s challenging climate change goals.

However, despite this government policy declaration, the same administration is now set to spend at least 2.5 million of taxpayers’ funds on cars that don’t conform to its pro-environment policy.

                           

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14 Comments
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Paul Bonello
Paul Bonello
1 year ago

Oh what a circus! Look who is aspiring to be removed from FATF greylist

KLAUS
KLAUS
1 year ago

‘Interesting’ and special friends has and need ROBBER Abela!

Mafia instead of Malta 🇲🇹

Evelyn
Evelyn
1 year ago

They put the price for 3.1 million so that the 2.5 million will be securely covered!!!!!! Are we all imbeciles????????

KD Far
KD Far
1 year ago
Reply to  Evelyn

Yes you are. €3.1m is the estimated value of the tender. The cheapest bid to specification wins. As this guy freely submitted €2.5m as an offer, there could have been someone else who submitted a cheaper offer than his.

viv
viv
1 year ago

’Get in the car and you won’t get hurt.’
‘Where are you taking us?’
’The boss wants a word.’

Godfrey Leone Ganado
Godfrey Leone Ganado
1 year ago

‘Is alleged to have good connections with some members of the judiciary’.
Surely such a statement demands a sworn public statement by every member of the judiciary, denying any such connection, as well as an investigation by the Commissioner for public standards, obviously an independent one and not one of the names proposed for this office.
This statement in itself, should throw shivers down the spine of every member of the committee, investigating rule of law in Malta, as well as the FATF taskforce.
In my opinion, awarding such a delicate tender, to an alleged criminal, is a high security risk for every member of the judiciary and their families, and a definite threat to the carrying out of justice.
The accusation of ‘kidnapping’ makes this situation even more serious, considering that the children of members of the judiciary will be passengers in those cars.
I ask: why is the Prime Minister not coming down with a big bang on this issue? Is he in some way threatened by his notorious clients or ex-clients?

Last edited 1 year ago by Godfrey Leone Ganado
makjavel
makjavel
1 year ago

Just to warn the government employee who will sign the adjudication.
It will be your signature that will be recognised as that that broke the law , not the minister’s, not unless you have it in writing from the Minister to sign it. Look at who will be burnt at the stake for letting the person with an arrest warrant to leave Malta in a certain group consisting of Joseph Muscat and gang .

makjavel
makjavel
1 year ago

It would be interesting to be known who of the judiciary drink wine with Robert Abela’s clients.

Francis Said
Francis Said
1 year ago

This deal is totally unacceptable and unethical. I really cannot even start to comprehend the intricate web of corruption.
What a shame for Malta & Gozo.
Also, which I believe is extremely worrying that many staunch labour supporters are against the EU membership.
This is an extremely dangerous attitude. Malta’s major trading partners are member states of the EU. Our tourism is also highly dependent on the EU citizens.
I do not want to sound doom and gloom, but our democracy is seriously at stake.

carlo
carlo
1 year ago
Reply to  Francis Said

It has been at stake since 2013 or even before when the mafia gang changed its name from workers’ party to muvument korrott. All plans were set prior to 2013 elections with visits to azerbaijan and other corrupt dictators.

Dindin
Dindin
1 year ago

Can’t stand his face… :S

Mark
Mark
1 year ago

F’pajjiżi jiġri bil-maqlub ta’ pajjiż modern u serju.

carlo
carlo
1 year ago

Can it get any worse? Criminals supported by a corrupt mafia government. What a mess we’re in.

Robert
Robert
1 year ago

In Germany, France, judiciary members and their families do not have a car granted by the State, except heads of jursidictions and the ones requiring special protection. Malta is ran like a gang. No wonder why international arrest warrants will never be enforced here. The grey listing might one day turn into a black one.

Last edited 1 year ago by Robert

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