Former Labour candidate Joe Cordina yesterday denied any involvement in the oil scandal, saying he was only doing his job as an accountant.
Mr Cordina defended his involvement in Intershore Fiduciary Services, which acted as a front for rogue oil trader George Farrugia’s Aikon Ltd.
Finance Minister Tonio Fenech has directly implicated Mr Cordina in the oil scandal, saying his company handled financial transactions on behalf of Mr Farrugia and his wife.
But speaking during John Bundy’s discussion programme Affari Tagħna under the tent in Victoria, Mr Cordina described the Finance Minister as “a lying accountant”, adding his company will be suing Mr Fenech on Monday.
Mr Cordina, who withdrew his candidature and resigned his post as financial administrator of the Labour Party after his name cropped up this week, insisted his company provided fiduciary services like many other accountancy and legal firms.
He explained that fidu-ciary services were given to clients who did not want to show their name. “There are many genuine clients but this one (George Farrugia) was a fraudster and we knew absolutely nothing of the bribery he was involved in.”
Mr Cordina said his company withdrew its services when Mr Farrugia’s brothers sent a legal letter accusing their brother of defrauding them.
“I never met him (George). Our company did all due diligence necessary according to law. We trust our clients,” he said.
Mr Cordina said the Finance Minister tried to imply that Intershore was the company involved in fraud and bribery.
The company has two other directors, including former PN candidate Martin Fenech.
In a passionate address, Mr Cordina said he withdrew his candidature because he did not in any way want to be a spoke in the Labour Party’s wheels just 15 days away from the election.
He got a long applause, including from Labour leader Joseph Muscat.
Dr Muscat thanked Mr Cordina for his decision to resign, describing him as a victim of the PN’s attacks.He said Mr Fenech had contradicted himself twice on the oil scandal.
“He first told us he never met George Farrugia but today (yesterday) admitted meeting him twice, including once in relation to an Enemalta tender. He then told us that he did not receive gifts but today (yesterday) admitted receiving a clock at home,” Dr Muscat said.