Adrian Delia’s replies about having had Luke Dalli on his payroll

You’ll need to read this post first. Three hours after it was published, a campaign aide to Adrian Delia contacted me on his behalf with the following replies, which are reproduced verbatim.

Q. What is the nature of your relationship with Patrick Dalli, who is married to one of Muscat’s closest cabinet ministers? By putting Helena Dalli’s son on your payroll, were you seeking to gain advantage or seek favour with her or the Labour Party/government in general, or protection from it in some shape or form?

A. Adrian Dalli (sic) doesn’t have any sort of a relationship with Patrick Dalli. 18 years back Adrian and his wife had purchased their residence from him and his associate.

Q. Do you continue to maintain a relationship with Luke Dalli, who is extremely close to Prime Minister Muscat and to his aide Glenn Bedingfield, and travels with both of them regularly?

A. No, none whatsoever.

Q. It has been noted that Glenn Bedingfield has been quick to leap to your defence in the face of criticism of your suitability as a candidate. Would you say that your personal relationship with Luke Dalli accounts for this? Are you in touch with Mr Bedingfield yourself?

A. Adrian Delia does not have a relationship with Glenn Bedingfield either and is not aware that he has leapt to his defence anywhere, ever. However, you would have to ask him (Glenn Bedingfield) about how he thinks of Adrian’s suitability. Adrian was never in touch with Glenn Bedingfield about anything.

Q. Because he worked in your law office for well over a year, Luke Dalli will have been privy to information that you might perhaps prefer the Labour Party not to know. Does this not concern you?

A. No, there is nothing that concerns Adrian about himself which Luke Dalli or anyone else might be privy to.

The essential, fundamental question remained unanswered, so I rephrased it and sent it to the campaign aide, who promised to reply as soon as possible because Dr Delia was in meetings.

Q. Thank you. Why did he put Luke Dalli on the payroll? How did he know him?

Luke Dalli on holiday in Piemonte with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his chief of staff Keith Schembri. The occasion was Diane Izzo’s birthday party in Piemonte, Italy. Mrs Izzo owns and runs Dizz, the clothing brands franchisee in Malta.