The Malta Independent on Sunday
Inquiry to re-enact scene of Prime Minister’s ‘blinding’ today
A magisterial inquiry looking into the temporary, partial blinding of the Prime Minister at a political event last April will be re-enacting the entire scene this morning, this newspaper is informed.
On 6 April, the Prime Minister and dozens of others were hospitalised with pain in both eyes following a Labour Party activity held in Zurrieq. All eventually recovered but a magisterial inquiry into the incident was ordered.
Excessive exposure to the UV lighting used at the activity is widely believed to have been the cause of the incident.
This newspaper is informed that the magisterial inquiry will convene at a location in Tal-Qroqq, at 10am this morning, to re-enact the exact circumstances of 6 April.
To this end, a tender had been issued for special equipment to be sent in from abroad to gauge the intensity and other attributes of UV lights used that day. The exact same tent will also be set up at the location, which this newspaper is not disclosing, so as to ascertain what, exactly, led to the mass bout of temporary blindness.
Among the dozens treated at Mater Dei Hospital for eye pain – which was described as an acute burning sensation – following the event were Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, Parliamentary Secretaries Chris Fearne and Michael Falzon and MP Joe Sammut, all of whom were seated directly behind Dr Muscat at the event. Dr Muscat himself had been partially blinded for 24 hours and, like the others, was said to have experienced a significant amount of pain.
In a note on Facebook after the event, former parliamentary secretary Franco Mercieca, an ophthalmologist, said that speculation should stop and the police should be allowed to do their job. The police, in fact, were leaning toward ruling out an act of sabotage but with a magisterial inquiry still underway, clearly nothing is being completely ruled out, at least for the time being.
When contacted at the time, Dr Mercieca said that the source of the UV exposure is still to be established. He said it could have come from the cameras, or the lighting system or any other external source.
Of the people who were treated for eye injuries at Mater Dei Hospital after the Zurrieq political activity, the prime minister was the one who suffered the most, as he was exposed to the lighting for a longer period than anyone else.
The prime minister spent 24 hours without being able to see, but by the evening of the following day, his eyesight started to return to normal. He had been told not to return to work for a few days and to only expose himself to direct sunlight on a gradual basis. He has since recovered fully.