Farrugia did not tell police he gave minister €5,000 clock, Tonio Fenech claims

At no time did rogue oil trader George Farrugia say that he had given Finance Minister Tonio Fenech a gift, let alone one that cost more than €5,000, Mr Fenech told a news conference this afternoon. Addressing a news conference at the PN headquarters, he said that following the allegations made by Evarist Bartolo and Chris Cardona that Mr Farrugia had given him a gift that cost more than €5,000, he contacted the Police Commissioner this morning and asked to give him his version of events. He also asked for the possibility to confront Mr Farrugia. Mr Fenech said that the Commissioner told him that at no time did Mr Farrugia allege that he had given him a gift. Mr Farrugia also confirmed that he had never made this allegation. This, Mr Fenech said, showed that Mr Bartolo had lied. Mr Fenech said that he had been given a clock that was handmade by Mr Farrugia’s sister-in-law, before and not just after, as claimed by Chris Cardona, he became the minister responsible for energy. Mr Fenech admitted he was Finance Minister when he was given the gift but denied breaching any code of ethics saying this related to gifts of a certain value, which he said this clock was not. Mr Farrugia, Mr...