Rogue oil trader George Farrugia never told police he gave a gift to Tonio Fenech, “let alone one costing more than €5,000”, the Finance Minister said yesterday.

Mr Fenech addressed a press conference lasting almost two hours at PN headquarters, in Pietà where he laid into Labour, accusing its exponents, particularly candidates David Farrugia Sacco and Manuel Mallia, of “repeated lies”.

He produced documents he said showed the firm run by Labour’s now financial administrator, Joe Cordina, who quit on Thursday, was “an accomplice to fraud”.

Mr Fenech admitted for the first time he had met Mr Farrugia at his ministry over a complaint regarding a tender he was not awarded.

He said Mr Farrugia joined his brother, Ray, at his Balzan flat before he became minister responsible for Enemalta (in February 2010), to give him a Maltese traditional clock handmade by Ray Farrugia’s wife. Mr Fenech said she wished to give him the clock, which only had sentimental value, as “she admired me”, insisting this did not violate the ministers’ ethical code .

He said he did not “recall” either encounter with Mr Farrugia, who is at the centre of the Enemalta oil corruption scandal, but was rem-inded of them in a discussion with Police Commissioner John Rizzo.

Mr Fenech met Mr Rizzo and Mr Farrugia yesterday to clarify his position and understand if Mr Farrugia claimed he gave him a €5,000 gift, as Labour alleged on Thursday.

Mr Fenech has filed a criminal complaint against PL MPs Evarist Bartolo and Chris Cardona on the claims, which, he said, amounted to defamation. He would be happy for the case to be treated “hopefully” before the March 9 election.

Reacting, Labour said Mr Fenech said only two days ago that whoever received gifts from oil agents formed part of the scandal.

Dismissing his “ridiculous” claims about PL officials, the party noted Mr Fenech had originally said he never met Mr Farrugia but now confirmed he welcomed him to his home.

“Mr Fenech lied and lied again, so cannot be credible,” it said.