Gozo drug inquiry shows an effort to suppress truth – PN

PN Deputy Leader Beppe Fenech Adami yesterday spoke of a number of basic short-comings in the way in which allegations that the police failed to prosecute a woman on drug trafficking charges after political interference were investigated.

The allegations first surfaced through a news report on Malta Today. The story goes that back in 2014 the police caught a woman with drugs indicating that it was not for personal use. After a statement had been made with the police, the parents of one of the two persons had facilitated political interference through two government ministers, leading the police to allow a statement to be changed. This changed statement meant that the persons involved were not prosecuted for drug trafficking.

It had also been alleged that a meeting had taken place between the government ministers at the Ministry of Gozo during the night, and that one of the ministers arrived with a police escort.

The conclusion of the inquiry was published last Saturday, and found that no political interference had taken place.

“The way this inquiry was conducted indicates that no effort was made for the truth to come out, on the contrary an effort was made for the facts of the case remain hidden,” Dr Fenech Adami told a press conference yesterday.

“Seeing how the Prime Minister used double standards in his reaction to other cases, it is evident that, in the Gozo case he wanted to suppress the truth. Appointing an ex-PL candidate to lead the inquiry is illustrative of the fact that the pursuit of truth was not the end game,” said Dr Fenech Adami.

The PN deputy leader reminded the public that in other cases the PM had launched inquiries led by three ex-judges, referring an investigation launched by the Prime Minister into Dr Fenech Adami’s involvement into a company that reportedly had links with money laundering.

“In a most scandalous way, the Prime Minister appointed an exPL candidate to lead this inquiry. The conclusion is what was published last Saturday. As soon as everybody read it they understood that this was not a serious attempt at seeking the truth.”

“The most basic things were not carried out in the investigation. The principle players were not even approached to answer questions. The story said that the Gozo ministry was opened overnight for a meeting to take place, the members of staff should have been spoken to, CCTV camera should have been looked at. They could have been asked whether it is normal for the ministry to be opened at 10.30. The drivers of the ministers could easily have testified under oath.”

Shadow Minister for Energy Marthese Portelli spoke of the rising concern in the growing drug problem in Gozo, and said that the worst thing that could happen is that institutions protect traffickers instead of citizens.

PN candidate Simone Aquilina discussed Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil’s Sunday speech where he spoke of heightened criminality illustrated by car bombs, hold-ups, car fires and murders and the need to crack down on such wrong-doing.