Rosianne Cutajar hits out at breach of ethics report, calls it unjust

PL MP Rosianne Cutajar has hit out against the report by Standards Commissioner George Hyzler, which found her to be in breach of ethics, saying that it was unjust.

The breach was over a controversial Mdina property transaction she was involved in together with Yorgen Fenech. It is alleged that she pocketed thousands in brokerage fees and also received cash from the 17 Black owner and Daphne Caruana Galizia murder mastermind suspect. According to reports, she and her close associate Charles Farrugia ‘it-Tikka’ had helped broker the Mdina €3.1 million property deal for Fenech.

Fenech was trying to purchase the property from a certain Joe Camilleri. The deal fell through after Fenech’s November 2019 arrest and arraignment, and Camilleri is said to be chasing Cutajar to have her return a €46,500 brokerage fee he had paid her. Cutajar reportedly received a further €9,000 in cash from Fenech, while Farrugia received €31,000.

Cutajar has denied that she pocketed a fee.

Independent candidate Arnold Cassola, who had filed the complaint, said on Friday that Standards Commissioner George Hyzler had passed on his report to Speaker Anglu Farrugia. When a report is passed on to the Speaker, it means that some form of ethics breach has been found.

Reacting, Cutajar said that she has worked to clear her name over the past months. “I genuinely believed that the truth would rise to the surface but I am sorry to say that Hyzler’s conclusions do not do justice with me or with the truth.”

“One cannot but note how the report by the Commissioner has already been leaked to the media. A report that contains serious shortcomings with a lot of double standards used.”

She listed a number of issues she had with the Hyzler report, from a number of ‘lies’ she said were made by people, to the versions which Hyzler chose to believe.

“The Commissioner’s decision shocked me, mostly as contrary to other people called in to testify, I answered every question and gave every document asked of me.”

“They lied as much as they could about me. They said that with the funds I bought my house in Qormi. We brought documents that show that this is not true, including the loan I took from the bank to pay for that place.”

Cutajar continued, “They said that I counted the brokerage funds with my father. A lie. They said that when they got me the funds, my driver at the time picked up Camilleri from Triq l-Ifran in Valletta. My former driver confirmed under oath that this was not true. But the Commissioner believed these people and not me. Despite the evidence before him showing otherwise, despite that my version was corroborated with messages dating back to 2019 showing that I took no brokerage fees.”

“I will not go into the merits of the case after the Commissioner’s reasoning. After all I never thought about attacking any institution in our country, but I could not remain quiet.”

“Despite all that I passed through these past months, I am still filled with courage. Courage from the fact that, as a young woman in politics, I worked as much as I could, not only for my constituents, but for everyone who needed my help. Courage coming from the fact that I know in my heart what the truth is, and that this case is nothing but a huge injustice worked by people who had the clear aim to break me. They will not manage.”

“I will await the Parliamentary Committee’s decision. Meanwhile I will remain a PL MP. I want to continue fighting and working in favour of the people. I want to continue working more than ever before against those who think they have a divine right to rule.”

She also indicated that she will be contesting the next general election.

In February, Cutajar, then Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms, had suspended herself from Cabinet pending the outcome of Hyzler’s investigation.

On Sunday, The Malta Independent revealed that government MPs sitting on Parliament’s ethics committee will take the position that the Standard Czar’s report on Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar should be published “immediately.” Prime Minister Robert Abela will comment on the matter once the report is published. The Nationalist Party has also called for the immediate publication of the report.

The Standards Committee is expected to meet today at 8:30am.