Government awarded tender to accused kidnapper after court arraignment

Christian Borg, 30, arraigned in January 2022 for a range of offences, including kidnapping, was awarded a €150,000 contract for the lease of vehicles by the government just four months later.

In April 2022, Borg’s car hire company, Princess Holdings Ltd, was awarded a three-year contract by wardens’ agency Lesa to lease 26 vehicles, according to information tabled in parliament in reply to questions by PN MP Mark Sammut.

Research conducted by The Shift shows that Borg’s company is also currently supplying Transport Malta with some 41 cars, with a lease value of around €200,000 until 2025. In this case, the tender was awarded to Borg’s company before his legal issues.

But Borg, who is under police investigation for crimes including money laundering and possible drug trafficking, had another of his tenders halted by judges and magistrates when they found out his company was the preferred bidder to service their transportation. They insisted the offer should be discarded, considering Borg’s history.

Through social media posts, Borg promoted Prime Minister Robert Abela as one of his closest friends. Borg is a former client of Abela’s legal office, and the two were also involved in a business deal involving a plot of land in Zabbar.

Last year, Bank of Valletta terminated all its relationships with Borg, closing all his accounts.

Following his arraignment on accusations of kidnapping a man, threatening to chop off his fingers and rape his sister, media reports focused on his unexplained wealth.

Questions revolved around how Borg, who started a car business at 19, had amassed millions in a short period of time and commanded a fleet of thousands of cars.

Between 2016 and 2020, Borg declared an income of just €1.1 million for tax purposes even though he purchased properties of over €2.1 million in value during the same period.

Following his arraignment, Borg resigned from his position as director of his companies while retaining his entire shareholding, therefore retaining all profits.

In his stead, he appointed Joe Camenzuli, a former Labour Party photographer and an associate of disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat.