Immediately following his re-election to parliament in 2017, Michael Nali was appointed Minister for Works and Implementation in the government of Peter O’Neill. The two men have a much longer commercial relationship.

Since 2009, Michael Nali and Peter O’Neill have both been shareholders in the consumer finance lending company, Niu Finance Limited.

Niu Finance is majority owned by Peter O’Neill through a number of firms. In 2009 Nali’s company Kwadi Inn Ltd acquired a 10% stake in Niu Finance._[i] The paperwork filed with the Investment Promotion Authority detailing the share purchase by Kwadi Inn was personally signed by Peter O’Neill.

The business relationship between Nali and O’Neill though can be traced back further to 2004. This was when Michael Nali became the only listed director of the company Amender Limited. During the same general period both men were facing investigations of different sorts. O’Neill through the National Provident Fund Commission of Inquiry. Nali by the Ombudsman Commission for breaches of the Leadership Code.

Amender is owned by an Indian businessman Sanjay Shah and an Australian, Mohammad Sultan, through their company Supreme Industries Limited.

Between 2000 and 2007, Amender Limited held a 40% stake in the bar and casino venture Omerta Limited._[ii]The other shareholders of Omerta (the name is synonymous with the mafia’s code of silence) were Jimmy Maladina and his wife (30% shareholding through Ferragamo Limited – a company at the heart of the NPF scandal), and Peter O’Neill (30% through LBJ investments Limited). O’Neill has also served two terms as a director for Omerta._[iii]

In 2007, Amender, the company where Michael Nali is the sole director, sold its shares in Omerta to Peter O’Neill and his wife Lynda Babao. At the same time, Jimmy Maladina also sold his stake to the Prime Minister (via O’Neill’s company LBJ).

Omerta later merged with Paddy’s Hotels and Apartments Limited, one of the largest of Peter O’Neill’s current business assets._[iv]

Between 2001 and 2007, Amender also owned a 25% stake in Niu Finance Limited._[v]

There is not necessarily anything wrong with a close business association between political colleagues. However, it does impose an ethical duty on those concerned to recuse themselves from any political decision that may impact on the other’s business interests.

As we observed in Part I, Peter O’Neill has apparently failed to recuse himself from at least one major decision which had a beneficial impact on a Nali company, Kwadi Inn. Kwadi Inn it was noted holds shares in a company majority owned by O’Neill, and where he has been listed as Managing Director.

This relationship also show that even while Michael Nali was out of political office between 2007 and 2017, he still had a very close relationship to someone at the centre of political power._[vi]

_FOOTNOTES
_{[i] Niu Finance Limited, Notice of issue of shares signed on 04/12/2008, IPA}
_{[ii]Omerta Limited, Notices of change of shareholder (share transfer) recorded by IPA on 24 February 2000, 30 November 2000 and 17 July 2008, IPA. Omerta Limited, Notice of issue of shares recorded by IPA on 24 February 2000, IPA.}
_{[iii] Omerta Limited, Historical Directorship, IPA}
_{[iv] Paddy’s Hotels & Apartments Limited, Application for registration of Amalgamation for Amalgamation on 2 January 2009, IPA.}
_{[v] Niu Finance Limited, Notice of change of shareholder signed on 04/12/08, IPA.}
_{[vi] O’Neill was Minister for the Public Service from 2007, Minister for Finance from 2010 and has been Prime Minister since 2011}