Anthony Debono, the husband of former Gozo minister Giovanna Debono, yesterday pleaded not guilty to 13 charges in connection with the ‘works for votes’ allegations made by a contractor.
The claims were first reported by Malta Today, which said the contractor turned whistleblower alleged that he had been commissioned by Mr Debono to carry out private works for his wife’s constituents using public funds.
Mr Debono, 59, from Nadur, who until March 2013 headed the construction and maintenance unit at his wife’s ministry, was arraigned under arrest yesterday afternoon.
He appeared at the Gozo court in Victoria after he was held for further questioning in Malta in the morning. Soon after his arrival, Mr Debono was joined by his wife and their daughter.
Police Inspectors Ian Joseph Abdilla and Rennie Stivala accused Mr Debono, who appeared before Magistrate Joanne Vella Cuschieri, of misappropriation of public funds exceeding €5,000, fraud and abuse of power.
He was also charged with falsifying documents and committing a crime which, as a public officer, he was bound to prevent.
Mr Debono was also accused of trying to prevent other people from giving information or evidence to the competent authorities.
After pleading not guilty he was granted bail against a deposit of €1,000 and a personal guarantee of €5,000. He was also ordered to sign every Monday at the Victoria police station and not to travel abroad without the court’s permission.
Though the prosecution did not object to bail, it insisted that all the assets of the accused should be frozen. Defence counsel Joe Giglio objected, claiming such a request was not justified because his client had not made any financial gain. The court will decide on the request at a later date.
Soon after the sitting was over, Ms Debono, who throughout the controversy kept a very low profile, announced that she was resigning from the Nationalist Party but would retain her parliamentary seat as an independent MP. While denying any wrongdoing, she said it was in the party’s best interest that she make way. Last year, Ms Debono had already announced her intention to retire from politics at the end of this legislature.
Nevertheless, her premature departure from the PN ranks marks the end of an era in which she was consistently elected to Parliament in each general election since 1987.
Ms Debono was Gozo minister uninterruptedly for 15 years until the PN was voted out two years ago.
Throughout most of her long political career, she was the most popular Gozitan MP, garnering the highest number of votes in six consecutive elections.