The PN today challenged Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia to publish all call logs and content of telephone calls and SMSs sent between him, his Chief of Staff Silvio Scerri, Government Head of Communications Kurt Farrugia, Acting Police Commissioner Ray Zammit and the Minister's driver, Paul Sheehan, following the shooting incident in Gzira.

Sheehan is accused of attempting to murder a Briton whose car clipped the side mirror of the minister's car. The government initially said that warning shots had been fired but it was later revealed that the shots had been fired in the direction of the car.

Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, PN Deputy Leader Beppe Fenech Adami noted that Sunday's newspapers were dominated by the scandal and shed new light on this incident. It was revealed that spent cartridges were removed from the scene of the crime and parts of the Scotsman's police report were deleted. It was also revealed that the original press release issued on the day, which was riddled with lies and inaccuracies, was sent by Kurt Farrugia.

Dr Fenech Adami said the case had all the making of a cover-up but the government has not answered any questions.

He also referred to the report published in The Malta Independent on Sunday which said the number plates of the car that had blocked the St Luke’s hospital helipad had been erased from all records. This was symptomatic of the government’s attempts to cover up sensitive stories, he said. The helipad case had consequences he said: a helicopter transporting a very sick person had not been able to land and the person had later died, said Dr Fenech Adami. 

The PN's spokesman on Home Affairs, Jason Azzopardi, said this was a scandal on a level never seen before. "If the government has nothing to hide it should publish the call logs and content of calls between the top government officials that were in some way involved."

When asked if the PN trusts Acting Police Commissioner Ray Zammit, Dr Fenech Adami said Mr Zammit had a lot to explain, including the conversations he had with the OPM and with Minister Manuel Mallia after being informed of the incident. "The Commissioner has to come clean seeing that there are serious allegations of misconduct by the police." He also insisted that, even if the crime was committed by a police constable, someone has to be politically responsible for the Police Force.

The PN Deputy Leader also noted that is was strange that the Scotsman, Steve Morrison Smith, was not arraigned, despite the government's claims that he was drunk and hit the minister's car while driving under the influence and had also allegedly assaulted the driver with a beer bottle. "These are all criminal offences yet Mr Smith has not been arraigned so far. Maybe it is part of the cover up, or maybe it is not in the government's interest for Mr Smith to testify."

Dr Fenech Adami said the PN's motion of no confidence in Mallia should still be debated, irrespective of the so called independent inquiry appointed by the government.

The two PN MPs said Minister Manuel Mallia should use his time in Parliament tonight to give explanations to the many unanswered questions on the incident.