Prime Minister Joseph Muscat today refused to say whether the police should investigate No Portfolio Minister Konrad Mizzi after claims made by the chairman of the PANA committee with regard to money laundering.
PANA Committee Chairman Werner Langen said on Monday that Minister Konrad Mizzi's situation regarding his Panama company "looks like money laundering", however stressed that things are not clear at the moment.
Asked whether the police should investigate these allegations, Dr Muscat said that it is up to the commissioner of police to start any investigations on whatever situation. “He does not need me to tell him what to do, he said, and the government does not interfere in police work.
Dr Muscat would not say whether felt that an investigation should take place.
Asked why he was adamant on keeping Konrad Mizzi by his side, even after the PANA visit, Dr Muscat pointed out that the EP committee had declared that there was no evidence of wrongdoing by the no-portfolio minister. The PANA committee had also said that Dr Mizzi gave a clear explanation.
Dr Muscat said he would not rely on comments by individual committee members but would wait for the conclusions reached by the committee. Asked if the case was now closed, Dr Muscat said the electorate would have the final say on that.
He was also asked about the Opposition Leader’s declaration that he would sack the Police Commissioner for failing to investigate. Dr Muscat said such a decision would be up to Simon Busuttil if he became Prime Minister, but said the declaration showed how “vindictive” the Opposition Leader was.
Before addressing the press the Prime Minister, accompanied by Minister Mizzi and Enemalta CEO Frederick Azzopardi, met with corporation employees. The visit was held after Standard and Poor’s earlier this week praised the turnaround at Enemalta.
The PM said there were two important takeaways from the S&P report. The first was that the positive developments at Enemalta were necessary for the economy to grow. The second was that there was only one threat to Malta’s energy sector: meddling with the current system. The PM went on to say that the only threat to the sector was the Opposition Leader, who last week made a show in Parliament and tore up the power station contracts. “Those documents that he tore up are the things that saved Enemalta and its workers, gave us cleaner air and cheaper tariffs.”
Minister Konrad Mizzi said Enemalta had managed to increase sales, reduce theft and collect money owed. He announced that the Delimara D3 plant (BWSC) is now running on gas and will start commercial operations in the first week of March. The new Electrogas plant will follow soon after.
Muscat 'an accomplice' - PN
Reacting, the Nationalist Party said Dr Muscat had confirmed he was weak and an accomplice in a case described by PANA committee chairman Werner Langen as indicative of money laundering.
“Instead of ordering a criminal investigation against Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi, Muscat chooses to defend them and repeat their lies.”
The PN said it was evident that Joseph Muscat was an accomplice in a case described as “a textbook case of money laundering.” Anyone found guilty of attempted money laundering could spend up t 18 years in prison, the PN said.
PN cannot accept the Enemalta situation turnaround- PL
The Leader of the Opposition cannot accept that Joseph Muscat’s government is turning 25 years of failure around, a PL statement read
“Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil was not capable of strengthening Enemalta and left it with €800 million in debt. He was not capable of reducing energy tariggs, or switching the fuel used to gas.”
“The positive changes have happened, in less than four years under a Labour government thanks to an energy plan which received yet another positive certificate this week, by Standard and Poor’s."
"The only threat to Enemalta and the energy sector today is Simon Busuttil, who si ready to tear up the contract that brought the sector back onto its feet. Enemalta, under Simon Busuttil, will again be brought to its knees.”