Ix-shareholder fil-kumpanija tat-Times, Robert Hornyold-Strickland qed jitlob għar-riżenja tad-Deputat Nazzjonalista Mario De Marco quddiem l-allegazzjonijiet serji marbuta dwar frodi u ħasil ta’ flus li hemm implikati fihom eks Diretturi tal-Allied, fosthom Adrian Hillman.
Strickland, li f’siltiet mill-intervista li diġà xandarna, jispjega r-rabtiet kbar li hemm bejn De Marco u Hillman, saħaq li De Marco mhux postu fit-Times.
Hornyold-Strickland stqarr: “In my opinion he should resign, there’s no question. He shouldn’t be in that position of being on the Strickland Foundation where he can influence or could be seen to influence anything to do with the newspaper.”
In-neputi tal-Fundatriċi tat-Times, li għandu kawża biex jikseb aktar minn disgħin fil-mija tal-ishma tal-Allied, bħala l-uniku eredi ta’ Mabel Strickland, saħaq li huwa dejjem ġie imblukkat fuq investigazzjonijiet li għamel hu fl-operat tat-Times, min-nies bħal De Marco u Hillman, tal-aħħar illum fl-iżbarra jaffaċċja akkużi kriminali dwar frodi fosthom fuq xiri ta’ magna tal-istampar għat-Times.
Hornyold-Strickland sostna: “Certainly in my investigations into the dividends and the shareholdings I was blocked at every stage by Adrian Hillman, Mario De Marco, Austin Bencini, Ronnie Agius, the whole gang of them there. They just tried to block me of every opportunity to stop me getting information.”
Meta staqsejnieh: “Why do you think they do that?”
Hu qalilna, “Either they find it embarrassing or they have something to hide.”
Intant f’perjodu li saru numru ta’ allegazzjonijiet dwar l-operat tal-kumpanija u r-relazzjoni tul is-snin bejn it-tmexxija tal-kumpanija u negozji oħra, partikolarment Adrian Hillman u Keith Schembri, l-Imħallef Emeritu Giovanni Bonello kien tqabbad mit-Times biex jagħmel rapport ta’ inkjesta interna.
Inkjesta li baqgħet qatt ma ġiet ippubblikata, b’Bonello, li ftit wara nħatar Chairman tal-Fondazzjoni Strickland, ix-shareholder ewlieni tat-Times, jgħid li hu marbut bil-kunfidenzjalità.
Strickland jissuspetta li dejjem tħalla barra mill-operat tat-Times għaliex huwa accountant forensiku u t-tgerfix ixommu minn mili ’l bogħod.
Staqsejnieh jekk bħala shareholder tat-Times, qattx ingħata kopja tal-inkjesta interna.
Hu qalilna, “I certainly did.”
Meta staqsejnieh: “And what was the answer?”
Hornyold-Strickland weġibna: “Absolutely not they refused to give it to any of the minority shareholders. The Strickland Foundation, because they were represented on the board obviously had access to a copy”
Strickland, li żvela kif De Marco, bħala membru tal-Kunsill tal-Fondazzjoni Strickland, ra x’ikkonkludiet l-inkjesta interna dwar l-allegazzjonijiet marbuta ma’ Hillman, saħaq li d-Deputat Nazzjonalista għandu ħafna fuqxiex iwieġeb.
Huwa tenna: “Whether he’s been involved in any of these criminal activities with Adrian Hillman. I have no idea. That’s for the police to decide. I’ll be surprised but you know I have been surprised before.”
