The Nationalist Party said this afternoon that a company owned by MLP deputy leader Charles Mangion and MP Karmenu Vella submitted false declarations for eight years.

It said the company Mirca Properties Ltd had rented three apartments to Malta Freeport and declared it had no income, when income from the rents reached some Lm100,000 over eight years.

Dr Vella and Mr Vella as directors of this company failed to declare this income up to 2002, the PN said.

Payments to the company were made by cheques which were cashed and pocketed, the PN said, without any declarations made to the MFSA during that time.

The PN published documents to back its claims and asked what Dr Sant would do with regard to his two former ministers. It asked whether this was regarded as being good governance by Dr Sant and whether this was acceptable for him. These, the PN said, were not ordinary MPs. Dr Mangion is the MLP deputy leader and Mr Vella is a special consultant to the shadow cabinet.

Charles Mangion and Karmenu Vella ina counter-statement denied tax evasion.They said that all income that was not declared for the years 1995 to 2002 was completely declared in the accounts presented to the MFSA and the audited accounts presented to the Inland Revenue Department for the years 2003/04. Furthermore, the company’s income during those years was Lm85,135 and the figures mentioned by the PN were completely mistaken and aimed at misleading public opinion. The two MPs said the declarations were not made earlier because of talks with the Inland Revenue Department and what had taken place was therefore in the full knowledge of the department.

The two filed libel proceedings against Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, who first made the allegations, earlier in the day.

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