Muscat’s Orwellian government trying to silence opposition – Busuttil

PN Leader Simon Busuttil has described the government as Orwellian for attempting to silence the Opposition, despite preaching in favour of national unity, after OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri filed a criminal complaint against him.

Last week, OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri filed a criminal complaint with the police commissioner, signed by lawyers Edward Gatt and Mark Vassallo, against Dr Busuttil, after the latter requested the Court of Magistrates to open a criminal investigation into Schembri and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi for acquiring companies in Panama.

Mr Schembri claims that Dr Busuttil fabricated facts that he knows do not exist and has accused him of taking a false oath in the court applications that were filed.

Speaking on Radio 101, the PN’s radio station, Dr Busuttil said it was “incredible, especially from a government that preached that it was in favour of national unity. They are trying to silence the Opposition. This happens in a dictatorship, not a democracy.”

“Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri were caught with secret companies in Panama, in a ‘textbook case of money laundering’, something which should land you in prison for 18 months.”

He presented this application, Dr Busuttil explained, because even though Mizzi and Schembri’s involvement was “the worst scandal in Maltese political history,” the police failed to investigate.

“The PM failed to take action before and after the election. Even worse is the police commissioner, who is meant to investigate these allegations, and the attorney general, who chairs the FIAU.”

“Once it had not been investigated, I felt I had no choice but to go to a magistrate in order to show that there are politicians who are interested in seeking justice.”

“The election has not washed away their sins. A criminal act remains a criminal act.”

“If normal citizens fail to pay their VAT or Income Tax, they could be sent to prison. However, Mizzi and Schembri, who have done a lot worse, are yet to be investigated.”

“We can say that it was the PM’s chief of staff who launched the police complaint, but this is really coming from the PM himself.”

Dr Busuttil said that Schembri has filed a complaint based on something that is common knowledge around the world.

“Simon Busuttil did not write the Panama Papers; Simon Busuttil did not say that Mizzi and Schembri indicated they would be depositing up to €1 million. This is all information that was published by the Panama Papers.”

“This case just shows that our institutions are being used contrary to their actual function. The police commissioner does not investigate them from a year, in the face of so many allegations, but then immediately launches an investigation against me.”

Busuttil said that “it is like we are living in George Orwell’s 1984,” and insinuated that this was a ‘frame-up’ against him.

“This is a fascistic attack. For the first time in history, the government takes police action against the Leader of the Opposition.”

VGH

Referring to an article published in The Times of Malta, which claims that Vitals Global Healthcare will be paid €188,000 a day, or nearly €70 million a year, to provide beds to the government at the Gozo, Karin Grech and St Luke’s hospitals, Dr Busuttil said that it was ‘no surprise’ that the agreement between VGH and the government had been heavily redacted when tabled in Parliament.

Back in October 2016, Minister for Health Chris Fearne had said that the redacted portions of the contract contained commercially sensitive material.

Dr Busuttil said that that government will now be paying an extra €15 million a year, as Fearne had previously announced that until 2016, the government had spent roughly €55 million on the three hospitals.

He said that the government needed to provide an explanation for these revelations.

The agreement was initially signed by current Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi.