Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil has presented a judicial protest against Joe Cauchi following his testimony yesterday in the case against Anthony Debono, husband of former Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono.

The protest was signed by Dr Andrew Borg Cardona.

In his evidence, Mr Cauchi stated that he met me to discuss pending payments he was owed.

Dr Busuttil said:

1. Mr Joe Cauchi asked to see me soon after I was elected to the PN leadership in May 2013. During this meeting which was held in June 2013, he complained with me that he was still owed some money from the Gozo Ministry and was concerned that with the change of Government this would not be paid. I replied that there was no reason why financial commitments should not be kept simply because of a change in Government. 

2. During the meeting there was NO mention whatsoever of any ‘works for votes’ allegations, no mention of works carried out for private individuals and no mention of false invoices. Had this been the case, it stands to reason that I would have replied that no public money could be claimed for works performed in private property because this would amount to misuse of public funds. 

3. The truth is that when he met me, two years ago, Mr Cauchi only spoke to me about money he was owed and how he could be paid. He had absolutely no interest in stating that he was seeking money for illegal works because that would have meant that no money was due to him at law. He is only changing his version now because it suits him to do so.

4. Mr Cauchi’s allegation that I told him that he should not have accepted the jobs because the PN was not expected to be re-elected is sheer nonsense.

5. Mr Cauchi’s protection as a so-called whistleblower hinges on his slander against the PN and myself as party leader. The more he lies about us the more likely he is to get paid for illegal works he admits to have performed. In this he is being aided and abetted by a Justice Minister who is shamefully using the law as a political weapon against his political opponents. This is also making a mockery of the whistleblower protection which has been given to someone who by his own admission conducted irregular works and sought undue payment for them and who now has a vested financial gain in the claims he is making. This is not the way whistleblower protection should work in a democracy.

6. I have already made a statement to this effect in the media more than a month ago and this was published in The Times of Malta on March, 31, 2015 as well as other media. I am only reiterating today in court in the light of the evidence given by Mr Cauchi in court yesterday in order to set the record straight.

7. I leave it to the public to choose who to believe: myself, who met Mr Cauchi upon his request in June 2013, barely a month after I became party leader; or Mr Cauchi, a self-confessed crook who wants his pound of flesh because he realised he would not get paid for his shady dealings.

8. The truth is that if there was anyone who knew about these allegations and kept them hidden it was Joseph Muscat and Anton Refalo. Joseph Muscat certainly knew because it is clear that the Labour Party disclosed these allegations to the media on the eve of the Local Council campaign in what is now a pattern that we all have become used to. Anton Refalo knew since, at least, last Summer. Neither Muscat nor Refalo explained why they kept this information to themselves and used it when it suited them rather than report it to the Police immediately.

Judicial protest

 

Busuttil attacking the institutions, government says

In a statement issued this afternoon, the government noted that Simon Busuttil, who holds a constitutional role, had chosen to attack the first person who had qualified for whistleblower protection after uncovering alleged corrupt practices.

It noted that whistleblowers only qualify for protection by law after a rigorous process involving the Attorney General, the police and the courts. Mr Cauchi has gone through that process. 

As such, the Opposition Leader’s attack is not only aimed at a person or a political matter but also at the institutions and can, unfortunately, scare off other potential whistleblowers. This is a grave act, the government said.