PN leader Simon Busuttil this morning called the inquiry into the wrongful arrest of Darryl Luke Borg as a “travesty of justice.”

“I do not blame the board. I blame the Prime Minister who appointed the board. Instead of being asked to investigate the person who made the mistake, it was instructed to investigate the person who remedied the mistake. This is unbelievable,” Dr Busuttil said during an interview on the PN’s radio station, Radio 101.

Despite this, Dr Busuttil expressed his faith in the chairman of the board, retired Judge Franco Depasquale.

Dr Busuttil then turned his guns on police commissioner Peter Paul Zammit.

“It is not that surprising. When the government appointed the Police Commissioner, we expressed our reservations, because he is a labour activist. A Police Commissioner has to have the respect of everyone, not just labour voters. Appointing a labour activist as Police Commissioner was a mistake,” Dr Busuttil insisted.

He accused the Police Commissioner of attempting to turn the Police corps into a labour club, and promised that he will not allow anyone to be victimised for political reasons.

Public Accounts Committee

On the Public Accounts Committee’s grilling of the Auditor General over the past few weeks, Dr Busuttil said that certain shortcomings have emerged in the report on oil procurement.

These shortcomings include people mentioned or affected by the report not being contacted for their version of events, he said.

“As an Opposition, we are obliged to bring up something that we do not agree with. It is not an attack on the Auditor General’s independence. If we see shortcomings, we will bring them up,” Dr Busuttil said.

Dr Busuttil pointed out that the Auditor General said that he discovered no illegalities in the course of compiling the report, although the Opposition leader admitted that certain administrative shortcomings were found.

Migration

Dr Busuttil lamented what he terms as the loss of respect for Malta in Brussels, which he says was brought about by the government’s tough stance on irregular migration.

“We were respected until March, but on immigration they have ruined our reputation in Brussels. The government has set a bad example,” Dr Busuttil said.

He questioned Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s treatment of Cecilia Malmström, EU Comissioner for home affairs, asking how Dr Muscat expects help from her on the one hand, while insulting her and suggesting that Sweden should take Malta’s migrants.

Reconnecting with the people

Dr Busuttil, who has been a regular sight on the Maltese ‘festa’ circuit this summer, said that he has visited 25 localities in order to better connect with the people.

“I met with thousands of people. This shows that the PN is doing things of substance, the PN is once again speaking with and listening to the people. We are being welcomed wherever we go,” Dr Busuttil said.

He compared this to the government’s own efforts, which he said has yet to start the business of governing and is still on holiday.