Outed: Ambassador nominee’s partner exposed as source behind leaked recordings targeting public official

Tony Debono, the partner of ambassador-nominee Roseanne Camilleri, has been identified in court filings as the individual behind the leak of damaging private recordings involving Ryan Borg, a senior official at the Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sport (AIMS) and former chief of staff to Education Minister Clifton Grima.

In a libel case, Borg accused Debono of secretly recording private conversations without his consent and then circulating those recordings to sections of the media to tarnish his reputation and cause political damage.

The recordings, which surfaced last year, captured Borg, who is also a PL local councillor in Sliema, making disparaging remarks about Minister Clifton Grima and officials within the Education Ministry.

In leaked conversations, Borg described the minister as “unfit for purpose” and criticised the ministry’s operations, including the conduct of officials who succeeded him after his departure as chief of staff.

The revelations had prompted significant controversy within government circles and led Borg to temporarily step aside from his role at AIMS amid mounting pressure and media scrutiny.

The source of the leak has never been made public. In the recordings leaked, only Borg’s voice is heard. Yet court documents filed by Borg now place the focus squarely on Debono, whom Borg alleges has maliciously orchestrated the leaks in breach of privacy laws.

According to an affidavit filed in court, apart from the libel suit, Borg also lodged a criminal complaint against Debono, requesting a police investigation into what he described as illegal recordings and unlawful dissemination of private conversations.

Despite the complaint having been filed more than a year ago, no criminal charges have yet been brought against Debono.

Debono, 77, previously served as CEO of Telemalta, and recently made headlines after sending threatening messages to PN MP Adrian Delia, who questioned Debono’s partner, Roseanne Camilleri, during a parliamentary approval process linked to her nomination as ambassador to Liechtenstein.

In those messages, Debono warned Delia of “repercussions” for his political career after the PN MP questioned Camilleri over her involvement in controversies linked to the refurbishment of two government health centres during her tenure as CEO of Primary Health Care within the Health Ministry. An internal cabinet report had dubbed Camilleri as “professionally incompetent”.

Speaker Anglu Farrugia later censured Debono’s messages and requested an apology to avoid parliamentary privilege proceedings. Debono subsequently issued an unconditional apology.

The latest court action is expected to intensify scrutiny of Camilleri’s diplomatic nomination, which The Shift has already revealed has effectively been placed on hold following concerns raised within diplomatic circles.

Sources indicated that authorities in Liechtenstein had expressed unease over controversies surrounding Camilleri’s public roles and her partner’s conduct.

In his court filings, Borg claims the leaks severely harmed his reputation and integrity, strained relations with his employers, and caused financial losses. He also said the incident inflicted significant emotional distress on both himself and his family.

In his initial response to the proceedings, Debono, represented by former Labour minister José Herrera, did not deny leaking the recordings. He argued that he could not be held responsible and put the blame on the media that published the material, including Neville Gafa’ and Karl Stagno Navarra.

On their part, the police have not yet stated what is keeping them from charging Debono with criminal offences related to the leaking of personal data.

It is also unclear what connections Debono has with AIMS and Education Minister Clifton Grima, who contests the 10th district where Debono resides.