Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil said today that the PN will present a Parliamentary motion to stop the courts from having the ability to issue garnishee orders against journalists, and invited the Prime Minister to join him "if he believes in freedom of expression."

PN Leader Simon Busuttil was addressing a large crowd (estimated to be around 1,000 people) during a political event held near the Fortizza in Sliema.

Dr Busuttil also said that next Sunday, the PN will organise a demonstration in favour of liberty and democracy, "where everyone of good will can come and speak up, and send a message that there are people ready to defend democracy." The demonstration will be held in Valletta.

Among those who were in attendance, one could spot PD Leader Marlene Farrugia, as well as many PN MPs, and MEPs, as well as candidates for the upcoming elections. Dr Farrugia and Dr Busuttil grabbed each other's hand and raised them together at the start of the event, as a sign of unity for the coalition against corruption.

Dr Busuttil also pledged that the PN if elected would remove criminal libel.

Dr Busuttil asked; "What is the PN's cause today, what does the party represent? What can the PN offer? We are here to answer this. We as the PN have a new cause, for the PN to be the new defender of democracy and liberty."

"Democracy and liberty are under threat. I know that this is a strong phrase, and there are those who would question it, but our answer is still that they are under threat." 

He said that one might not see it right away, but if one looks at the whole picture, "seeing one lie after another, one abuse after another, then one would see the threat."

"Today there is no doubt in anyone's mind that the current government is the most corrupt in history. Corruption threatens democracy. It takes the funds which are meant to be spent on the people, on patients, on social housing, on those who need help, on those people who are vulnerable, and instead those funds are spent on abuses, on those who don't deserve it. There are too many corruption cases, and this only after four years."

He said that a Prime Minister has persons close to him (referring to Minister Konrad Mizzi and OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri), "with a long shadow of corruption." He spoke about Mossack Fonseca and Panama, where the heads of the firm were taken to court. "These two persons who run the legal firm were taken to court on accusations of running a criminal organisation. Panama is not an example of honesty or the fight against corruption, but even in that country, a year-long investigation took place and resulted in Mossack and Fonseca being taken to court."

"These are the OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri's and No Portfolio Minister Konrad Mizzi's consultants. And so the two persons closest to the Maltese Prime Minister are clients of a criminal organisation."

"A year has also passed here in Malta, but the police have not investigated. We do not know what happened to the FIAU investigation, that was meant to investigate these kinds of allegations. Instead of steps being taken, we saw the resignation of the person who was heading it, and we also saw the resignation of the Police Commissioner. Whenever he is asked about this, the Prime Minister plays the fool, hiding behind excuses, saying god forbid the he looked at an FIAU report. He is right here, but as the Prime Minister it is his job to ensure that the FIAU is doing its job."

"It is not acceptable that we remain in the dark as to what is happening to the investigation and its conclusions."

"Aside from the Panama companies belonging to Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi, there is also the third company," he said. He said that the Maltese consultants who handled the known Panama accounts know who own the third company, "and they enter Castille frequently. One of them has an office next to the Prime Minister's. If this person knows who owns the third company, how can the Prime Minister not know who owns it? "

He referred to information which appeared through the Panama Papers, where "these Maltese consultants (referring to Nexia BT) had said that the third name will not be written through emails, but will be told through a skype call. Who is this third person, who is so important, that his name cannot be written yet the names of Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri were written?"

"I asked the Prime Minister many times, who owned the third Panama company. He wasn't pleased, and began personally insulting me in Parliament when the microphone was off. Why was he getting so angry? I think I know why, and I don't think it will be long before we get to know why. "

"Corruption, especially when it comes from the top, when the man on top closes his eyes, is a threat to democracy. We no longer feel that public funds are being used as they should, but instead are being stolen. "

He quoted from a businessman who wrote in the press this last week. "For one to be honest it is practically impossible in Malta... It is easier to be corrupt than to be honest."

He pledged that under a government led by Simon Busuttil it would be easy to be honest and hard to be corrupt.

He turned to abuse of power, and said it is not right for the wife of a PL MP to have a blue sticker to park in a disabled parking spot. "Those who really have a disability deserve priority parking, and not a person just for being the wife of an MP. Is it not an abuse of power for a minister to spend so much on a mini bar? Is it not abuse of power for Sai Mizzi to still be receiving €13,000 a month. She has been paid more than €500,000 so far. These people end up defending themselves, not the people."

He then turned to the "lies told by government. Sai Mizzi's husband said that as soon as his wife's contract was to expire, it would not be renewed. Yet now, we see that she is still there, and thus he lied. Is it not a lie for Home Affairs Minister says that the police are investigating Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri regarding their Panama companies, and yet this turned out not to be true the very next day?"

"Is there anyone who believed Economy Minister Chris Cardona when he says that he was not in a German brothel? Is there anyone who believes him. I do not believe Chris Cardona." The crowd then broke out into an "I do not believe him" chant.

"What Dr Cardona did, when he took extreme and savage action to try and silence journalism and freedom of expression by freezing the funds of the person criticising him, is a threat. Threats are not acceptable in a democracy. "

"When one removes the right to speak, to express ones-self, to say whatever he or she wants even if you don't agree with it, then that person ends up imprisoned within himself. "

"Chris Cardona broke the right to freedom of expression this week, not against one journalist, but against all journalists, against all of us. Through the garnishee order, he might have scared that journalist, although I don't know if it will work, but he could also scare other journalists. Such an extreme action sends a message warning anyone not to criticise him, and that is an unacceptable declaration which we will not stand for. "

"If Dr Cardona thinks he will scare us with his axe politics, then he is wrong. "

He spoke of the current climate in Malta, where people are scared. "I lived under a PN government and there was never this climate of fear, and everyone was able to say whatever they want without being attacked or being silenced. I know that there are many who fear speaking up". He spoke of workers who are afraid of being targeted for speaking their mind.

"I meet businessmen who tell me how disgusted they are with what happens, but tell me not to mention their names as they will be destroyed."

"You know as much as I do, that I am telling you the truth. Now is the time for everyone to make their own judgement, and say that this is too much. We have passed the time where one can ask for the resignation of one person or another. If everyone I mentioned before carries their political responsibility, there would be nobody left, they would have all resigned. Since they are all there, then it is clear they don't want to go, and that you will need to speak through your votes. I urge you to do this, to pass your own judgment through your vote."

Dr Busuttil also promised a normal government, where one could wake up in the morning, not worried about seeing one scandal after another.

PL reaction

A PL statement read that "our country is moving forward in good rhythm, yet Simon Busuttil does not want to accept this. The only weapon the PN has left is to provoke, as they believe this will gain them a political advantage. Dr Busuttil is doing this by lying and making insinuations that fall to the lowest level of political negativity."

 

"Dr Busuttil’s hysterics show an Opposition leader in panic."

Photos by Mike Camilleri