PN condemns ‘near-fascist’ government tactics on medical visas scandal
The Nationalist Party yesterday condemned what deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami described as ‘near-fascist’ tactics adopted by the government and the police in their investigations following media revelations on how medical visas supposedly for injured Libyans were being given to others.
Addressing a press conference, Dr Fenech Adami said the police closed off their investigations on Neville Gafa too early. Media reports said that the police had found no evidence that Gafa, a Health Ministry official, had done anything wrong.
But at the same time The Malta Independent published excerpts of texts exchanged by Gafa and middleman Khaled Ben Nasan showing how Gafa was hounded for money paid in advance for visas that never materialised.
“After the story published in the Malta Independent, it now seems that the police investigation was a farce, and was done to close the chapter and ensure no damage was done to government. After what was revealed, the police should open a serious investigation into Neville Gafa”.
Dr Fenech Adami said that ironically the police asked the Attorney General whether any steps can be taken against the whistleblower, a move which Dr Fenech Adami said would push away anyone from considering revealing potentially criminal situations in the future.
“We ask the AG not to succumb to pressure. The AG has the power, by law, to protect those uncovering corruption, as he did during the energy theft scandal.
“Neville Gafa is close to the Prime Minister, close to Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri. Because he is close to them, instead of investigation resulting in steps against those behind this corruption, steps are being taken to discredit the story and turn the cannon on the whistleblower”. He described the Police Commissioner as someone close to the Labour Party, and called him a puppet.
PN MP Claudette Buttigieg said that there has been no condemnation of the situation by the Prime Minister, nor by Health Minister Chris Fearne.
She highlighted the seriousness of the situation, stating that profiting from people who are injured is just plain wrong.
In a counter-statement, the Labour Party said Dr Fenech Adami wanted to play judge and jury on the matter.
The PN was believing a person who was making allegations and not the police investigations, the PL said. When an investigation does not lead to a situation favourable to the PN, the party starts to attack one and all, it added.
The PN attacked the police commissioner, the attorney general and the board of local governance. It would have been better for Dr Fenech Adami to say what steps were to be taken against his brother Michael.