Magistrate Aaron Bugeja, leading the Egrant Inc inquiry, has accepted the Opposition leader’s request to present evidence on alleged kickbacks involving the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Keith Schembri.
“I will appear before the magistrate tomorrow morning at nine to present evidence of the government’s corruption,” PN Leader Simon Busuttil said this evening at a press conference in Gozo.
The evidence in his possession is ‘shocking’, added Dr Busuttil.
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Earlier in the day, Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil said that he chose to file an application to be heard by a magistrate holding an inquiry into the Egrant case because he has no faith in the police commissioner. The fact that police chief Lawrence Cutajar has not lifted a finger since the accusations were made yesterday shows why nobody should have confidence in the chief of police, he said.
"What has happened in the past 12 hours confirms that I shouldn't have faith in the police chief, if, after 12 hours, he has not arrested Keith Schembri," he said. "If they haven't arrested him after I gave that information, then when will they arrest him?" he asked, stating it as a reason as to why he is approcaching the magistrate with the documents. "I have faith in the magistrate," he said.
Dr Busuttil was addressing the media outside the law courts in Valletta, following his application in the courts in order to present the "evidence" which he mentioned last night, claiming chief of staff Keith Schembri had received commissions through the citizenship scheme.
The leader of the Opposition said that he now expects the magistrate, Aaron Bugeja, to summon him to provide the evidence he revealed in a press conference yesterday evening. Dr Busuttil said yesterday that OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri received kickbacks from Nexia BT's Brian Tonna on sale of citizenship to foreigners, a claim Mr Schembri rejects.
Dr Busuttil said he has not been approached by the police chief after the allegations he made yesterday. The police chief, he said, is a puppet in the hands of the government, whereas he has confidence that the inquiring magistrate will conduct the investigation to the best of his abilities, although he believes that some proof which was removed will make his task difficult.
He said he does not believe that Magistrate Aaron Bugeja will ignore his request to provide proof, under oath, of what he revealed yesterday.
He said the Prime Minister should resign in the wake of the serious allegations made. He added that Keith Schembri should be arrested "immediately" and interrogated.
Dr Busuttil said that the police have not acted on his revelations, which shows that the country's institutions are paralysed, mentioning that, to his dismay, since he made the claims last night, Dr Muscat remained silent on the issue, which he highlighted as a cause for concern. This corruption in the citizenship scheme, Dr Busuttil said, shows that corruption is "institutionalized and running in every sector".
He said that he provided the magistrate with the speech he delivered at the press conference, and said he is ready to provide the evidence of corrupt practices.
"I will go in front of the magistrate not with words but with facts and proof," he said, "I am doing things seriously. This is not a game, this is something of a very serious nature."
When asked if the documents will be released to the press, Dr Busuttil repeated that he will be going to the magistrate with the proof. "I don't exclude that what arrived me hasn't arrived at someone else, or is at someone else," he said.