Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil insisted this afternoon that Justice Minister Owen Bonnici was making use of the Whistle-blower Act to attack his political rivals.

Speaking to journalists at the University of Malta, following a meeting with lecturers, Dr Busuttil denied that he was using his power to influence the whistle-blower – Joseph Cauchi – into changing his testimony. “I also have the right to defend myself when someone makes false allegations against me. The misfortune is that we have a government, a Justice Minister, who is using the law to attack his political adversaries. That is how the whistle-blower law is being used.”

Asked why he had first said that the whistle-blower had confirmed what he (Dr Busuttil) had said earlier, and then accused Mr Cauchi of being a crook and not saying the truth, the PN Leader said he had done so because Mr Cauchi had added new allegations which were not true.

“At first Mr Cauchi said he had never spoken to me about works-for-votes, which is true. Then he started adding things, things which he never spoke to me about. I felt I had to clarify this and this is why I filed the judicial protest against Mr Cauchi.”

Dr Busuttil stopped short of saying that the whistle-blower had committed perjury. Asked how he could prove that he was saying the truth, since this was now a case of his word against Mr Cauchi’s, Dr Busuttil asked how anyone could instead prove that the whistle-blower was telling the truth.  “If it is my word against him, I will leave it up to people to decide who is telling the truth. Will they believe me, as Leader of the Opposition, or Mr Cauchi, who has committed illegal acts?”