Updated - Adds PN reaction - The Labour Party has called on former Finance Minister Tonio Fenech to shoulder his political responsibilities after evidence given in court this morning in a case connected to the 'gift' of a tal-lira clock which he had accepted.

The PL said it had clearly emerged how the clock was actually donated by power Plan Ltd, managed by the oil trading Farrugia family. The company is being investigated in connection with commissions on oil purchases by Enemalta.

During the electoral campaign, Mr Fenech had said that the donation was a gesture of admiration by the sister-in-law of George Farrugia, the man who managed Powerplan, but this had been denied by Mrs Farrugia, the PL observed.

She had declared that she admired no one other than her husband and family and it was her husband who asked her to donate the clock to the minister. It was paid for by Powerplan.

It was therefore untrue that this had been a gesture of admiration.

It had also resulted in court that Powerplan also paid for two clocks donated to the Nationalist Party.

The PL asked why the PN hid this fact during the electoral campaign. It asked what had happened to the clocks.

The PN, it said, had answers to give. And Mr Fenech had responsibilities to shoulder

PN REACTION

In a reaction, the Nationalist Party said the evidence given this morning showed that statements made by Evarist Bartolo and Christ Cardona before the general election were not factual.

The evidence given by former Police Commissioner John Rizzo and Ray and Agnes Farrugia showed that the clock given to Mr Fenech was not a gift from George Farrugia but from Ray and Agnes Farrugia.

The clock was mostly made by Agnes Farrugia and it did not cost her more than Lm200 (€460 approx) and not €5000 as Labour had alleged.

There had been no ulterior motive in the gift. Mr Rizzo had testified that the police investigations showed no connection with corruption or the oil procurement scandal, the PN said.

George Farrugia had told the court that his presence when the clock was handed to the former minister was incidental and he had never met Mr Fenech before .

Ray Farrugia had pointed out that the clock was handed to Mr Fenech year before Mr Fenech became minister responsible for energy and it was not true that the gift was meant to influence oil procurement decisions.

That the clock was paid for by Powerplan was something decided by the Farrugias, without Mr Fenech knowing anything about it. As far as he was concerned, this was a personal gift by Agnes Farrugia.

The PN said the Labour statement was making incorrect allegations on the basis of the evidence given before the court in an attempt to continue to tarnish Mr Fenech's reputation.

It appealed to the PL to await the court's decision instead of continuing to make false allegations.

The PN also made reference to 'a clock' donated to it. It said the donation was made in 2007 and it was used in a fund-raising lottery..

Court report at http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130516/local/tal-lira-clock.469944