Police file bribery charges against contractors
The 'twin towers' in Paola, one of the projects undertaken by JPM Brothers.
The police have filed charges against contractors Jeffrey and Peter Montebello, accusing them of bribing Noel Borg Hedley, the former secretary of Finance Minister Tonio Fenech.
Noel Borg Hedley, 67, of Gżira, admitted in court in May that he received money from the Montebello brothers to waive fees they owed on the sale of under-declared properties.
Mr Borg Hedley, who served with Mr Fenech when he was still Parliamentary Secretary in the Finance Ministry, was conditionally discharged for three years and given a perpetual interdiction.
The case against the contractors is expected to be heard before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli.
Mr Fenech has categorically denied any knowledge of or connection with the case.
The Xemxija project ran into serious financial difficulty and remains on the drawing board, half of the Belmonte Heights property in Sliema was sold off after it remained undeveloped for years and the towers in Paola remain uninhabited years after being built.
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Mr Carmel Pule'
Jul 5th 2011, 21:40
To Mr Julian Caruana,
Making comments about The Land on which Cemetries are located , for our dead loved ones, and the building shaping Hospitals for our sick loved ones, are constructed, in no way offend and demean those who occupy them. Still ,if you were hurt by my comment, I do apologise.
Mr julian caruana
Jul 5th 2011, 16:12
TO ALL THOSE MAKING COMMENTS ON THE ADOLRATA CEMETRY;;;;
have some respect . for god sake some of us have their loved ones resting there,,, and it bugs me to read your stupid sarcastic comments.
what does adolarta have to do with jpm and tonio fenech???
if yu have nothing good to say SAY NOTHING AT ALL and get a life.......
Charles Sammut
Jul 5th 2011, 18:35
hear..hear... this issue is not funny!! On the contrary, when it involves bribery at the Finance Ministry and the conviction of Noel Borg Hedley for accepting bribes when he was the right hand man of Tonio Fenech, the Minister of Finance......it is no laughing matter!!!
It is no laughing matter, when the same people who are on trial for bribing Hedley, do work on the house of the same Tonio Fenech. Have any VAT receipts from Montebello Bros to Tonio Fenech been shown to the media.? I would imagine VAT receipts would have been written out for the works done at Tonio's residence and I hazard to guess that Fenech would be quite willing to produce the VAT receipts in question.
This is very,very serious and if other high officials in the Ministry of Finance and the VAT Department are found to have been involved...the AXE MUST fall ...if GonziPN does not have the guts to wield the AXE, then the people must drag the criminals who are sucking the Public Coffers dry with their corruption, to the Guiliottine!
...and the beat goes on....and the beat goes on.....
Mr Carmel Pule'
Jul 5th 2011, 14:42
All I can say is, What an ugly building! so disturbing on the eyes. It is ugly so ugly.It is monotonous and agressive at the same time.
I have developed mathematical operators which I can use on any spatal scenario and the result will categorise the scenario as being in any of the following , Monotonous, gentle, exciting and agressive.
Some architects have no idea about human sensitivites and where we live, is normally reqired to look peaceful both on the outside and the inside. The architect has succeeded in building an extension to Adollorata Cemetry, it is DEAD . In fact the cemetry is better for human live human visitors as the colours are more natural and welcoming. I personnaly would not seen dead in that building , I prefer to be dead at Adollorata.
Mr Carmel Pule'
Jul 5th 2011, 15:32
The building is Dead but certainly not peaceful!
jack bristow
Jul 5th 2011, 13:52
Very very very normal case for Mr.. heqemmmm... Minister... understand for yourselves taxpaying citizens.
Charles Micallef
Jul 5th 2011, 13:44
...............and the Minister got away scot free...there is no justice in this world, or better still in Malta!
Charles Sammut
Jul 5th 2011, 16:00
The minister has'nt got away scot free.....maybe for now he has.....but we shall see....we shall see....
He has become too much of a liability for GonziPN......soon we might have news that he resigned for personal reasons and so that he can spend more time playing with his children !!!
...and the beat goes on...and the beat goes on.....
Mr ALFRED MICALLEF
Jul 5th 2011, 13:30
TONIO FENECH - Piz kbir fuq it-taxpayer malti - Piz kbir fuq il-PN - LIABILITY KBIRA
fuq l-ekonomija Maltija - RESIGN !!!
Phil Humphries
Jul 5th 2011, 13:26
What 's this ? - Allegations of corruption involving politicians and constructors ? No ! - I don't believe it :)
But does anyone think that the full facts of this matter will ever be heard in open court ?
Whatever happens, there are plenty of developers, constructors, architects, politicians and civil servants that deserve to be severely punished for the ugliness they have inflicted during the last 30 years.
The accompanying picture says it all.
Ms D Vella
Jul 5th 2011, 13:19
There is one easy way for Mr Fenech to show his innocence.. Present the Invoice and VAT receipt for the renovations done by JPM Brothers and a statement of the bank transaction/ cheque...
Charles Sammut
Jul 5th 2011, 12:35
..let us hope there will be no dismissal because of some technicality, which seems to be so common when high profile criminals are charged!!
...and the beat goes on...and the beat goes on......
Mr Joe Micallef
Jul 5th 2011, 14:21
And the beat goes on..... I suspect Mr Sammut likes this so much because of the word "beat"
Intelligence stuck in the 80's!
Charles Sammut
Jul 5th 2011, 16:08
@ Joe Micallef...
Guzepp..here we go again..you are politicising the issue and still living in the past.
First of all, I did not live on the island in the 80's. Secondly, just to put it in simple terms ( I need to in your case ) .." and the beat goes on"... signifies, that things never change on this little island in the sun !
And if I were you, I will quickly pull my head out of the sand, before that kick comes along or else you will spewing bums!
By the way, how are you spending your COLA increase of Euro 1.16 ?
And please do not get offended, nothing personal......
..and the beat goes on...and the beat goes on..... (still)
Mr Joe Micallef
Jul 5th 2011, 16:31
The day I feel offended by someone like you, will be the day I give up all hope!
By the way I can now confirm my suspicion that you are fond of the word "beat" - I am sure it makes you feel all nostalgic about the 80's.
J. Scicluna
Jul 5th 2011, 12:31
Quote
The Montebello brothers were at the top of a stellar rise a few years back...
Unquote
LOL
I wonder why?!
Charles Sammut
Jul 5th 2011, 12:29
.ermm..one wonders if all the "hama" will come out....and one of the KingPins of Malta's corruption aka/ "smoke without fire" clan will also be charged!?!? Noooo..pigs will fly first!
In the meantime, he will continue to enjoy free flights on private jets...he will continue to turn a blind eye to the millions of Euro embezzled from the VAT Department...and he will continue to have work done on his residence as a "favour" ! And he will continue to enjoy his (dis)honoraria that GonziPN awarded him for his mismanagement of the Public Coffers!!
Malta ..wake up !!!..Let us get rid the island of these greedy , corrupt parasites!!!
...and the beat goes on...and the beat goes on......
A Frendo
Jul 5th 2011, 12:28
How come there was no resignation in relation to this case yet?!!!
A Frendo
Jul 5th 2011, 12:21
I hope that the JPM Brothers say everything in court and explain the REAL facts
Mr R ferriggi
Jul 5th 2011, 11:20
in this case, Fenech used to say he is the target of a PL campaign.
i mean,,,,, even reading the Times report,,,,,,,,, it is inconcievable to say that he is not somehow directly or indirectly implicated.
come on........... this is resignation stuff.
Mr Joe Micallef
Jul 5th 2011, 12:05
Mr. Ferriggi the last I read about your absurd logic is when lateley I was reading about medivial witchcraft hysteria in a book called Witchcraze.
Mr Carmelo Micallef
Jul 5th 2011, 12:14
If Minister for Finance resigns now imagine all the fun we will miss out on over the next two years ... do not be a spoil sport !
Charles Sammut
Jul 5th 2011, 12:34
@ joe micallef...
Guzepp.....I wonder whose logic is absurd! You, my dear fellow must have your head buried so deeply in the sand that you deserve your a....e kicked right into your mouth. I am certain there will be no grey matter to slow down the journey of your posteria !
...and the beat goes on...and the beat goes on....
Mr Joe Micallef
Jul 5th 2011, 14:01
Charles one word of advice.....avoid mentioning grey matter. You’re so evidently extraneous to the kind!
Mr joe vella
Jul 5th 2011, 11:16
" the towers in Paola remain uninhabited" i wonder why?
could it be the neighbours on the other side of the road?
Mr Andrei Azzopardi
Jul 5th 2011, 11:47
It should be said that they are very 'quiet' neighbors...
Mr Carmelo Micallef
Jul 5th 2011, 12:12
Are they objecting to the bad smell from the Minister for Finance and his "Gardeners"?
Victor Vella
Jul 5th 2011, 12:23
They would never complain about kids shouting thats for sure.But on a serious note I sincerely hope that this block is not residential.
Marisa Deguara
Jul 5th 2011, 12:29
jew inkella ghax tant hemm tahwid li l-ebda ricerkatur ma jista jsolvi u b'hekk l-ebda kuntratt ta bejgh ma jista jsehh!!!!!!!
Mr frank grech
Jul 5th 2011, 13:40
Re'' the neighbours on the other side of the road'' do not forget that people are dying to get in there!