‘Konrad Mizzi has already paid the political price’ – PM
Minister without Portfolio Konrad Mizzi has already paid the political price for acquiring a Panama company, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told the press yesterday.
“He had to resign as PL Deputy Leader and his portfolio was removed. He is now a Minister without Portfolio reporting directly to me.”
Minister Konrad Mizzi, as well as OPM Chief of staff Keith Schembri were both found to have acquired companies in the secretive jurisdiction of Panama.
Dr Muscat mentioned that a PL government will introduce a new Constitutional mechanism where if a minister or a high official would have shortcomings, it would not be the Prime Minister’s discretion, but there would be a mechanism as to how to review the system, meaning the steps that need to be taken against the minister or official, suspension or otherwise.
Asked what he will do with Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi after the election, Dr Muscat said that this is something after the people elect their representatives. “The people will decide Konrad Mizzi’s political future and then I will take the needed decisions.” Regarding Keith Schembri, he said that, “if there will be any form of criminal investigation into Keith Schembri ordered by the magistrate then he would resign immediately.”
As to defending Malta’s international reputation, Dr Muscat said that he is following the international press closely. “We must not make this out to be the end of the world. From what I have read, nobody is, until now, saying that there is any wrongdoing in the Maltese system, that we are breaching any EU laws. There is a point being made that whoever invests in Malta using the Maltese system has a competitive edge. What is wrong with that? We don’t have systems telling company A to pay one thing and company B another. Our system is transparent as it applies to everyone.”
He said that Malta’s system was given the ok by the EU Commission.
Dr Muscat was asked: “You have said that Simon Busuttil is tarnishing Malta’s name abroad. However this results from a lack of action on your part against Minister Konrad Mizzi and OPM chief of Staff Keith Schembri. Are you saying that you should not carry the majority of the responsibility given the international reaction to this situation?”
In response, the Prime Minister said: “the situation of a general election was accelerated because the PN Leader made the allegation that I or my wife have some form of account in another jurisdiction which I did not declare. He took people into the street. He lobbied in the EU Parliament for me to testify on this issue there. The letter I received from them stated clearly that it was about the allegations against me. I know the PN Leader exerted pressure for the EU Parliament to put Malta on the agenda. The EU Parliament decided to discuss Malta after the election in June, and if elected I will be going there to address the EU Parliament on this issue.
“The responsibility of the PN Leader isn’t that he said I took no action on Panama issue, that is criticism I can accept and I said I accept my responsibility as well, but that he is tarnishing Malta’s reputation based on a lie. He cannot tell us that who owns the company is not important. The international media reports read that the PM has a company elsewhere.
“I called an independent investigation and said that if there is any truth to it I will resign. He can’t come now and tell me he has nothing to do with it. He must shoulder responsibility and must resign if it is found not to be true.
“This is a total lie from start to finish. The EU parliament will speak on Malta based on the situation of hearing the PN Leader, and his lobbying, saying the PM is hiding something and the country is paying for it. It is unacceptable, the least thing he could do is carry responsibility.”