The third day of the election campaign was characterised by two bombshells, neither of which were directly involved with the activities both political parties are holding, and both dealt serious blows to the government.

The first was the news that the Prime Minister was summoned to appear before the PANA committee, which is investigating the Panama Papers scandal, and the second was even more significant, and it came from Magistrate Aaron Bugeja who deemed there are sufficient grounds for an investigation to be started involving OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri and the PM’s adviser Brian Tonna.

No matter how one – perhaps that should be with a capital ‘O’ – tries to spin it, both were damning news for the government, coming right in the first week of the election campaign.

To have a Prime Minister of a country called to testify before a European Parliament committee investigating corruption is yet another record for Muscat. And the records the Labour government keeps compiling are not ones to be proud of. Muscat has opted to dismiss the summons, conveniently postponing his testimony until after the Egrant investigation is completed. The suspicions can only grow. He blamed the PN was instigating PANA to push the PM for answers. Wow, the PN has so much power, it seems.

To make matters worse, later in the day we had the second bombshell, even bigger than the first. Again, the implications here are huge. That a magistrate sees the need for an investigation involving Keith Schembri and Brian Tonna is something that, in a normal country, would have led to the immediate resignation of the person responsible for the OPM – the Prime Minister, that is, apart from the people named.

But we do not live in a normal country and this is no news, considering that the Panama Papers scandal which erupted last year had not led to any action from the PM’s part. Labour is defending itself by saying that no proof was provided on Egrant – which is an allegation involving the PM’s wife. But that is no consolation.

 

Labour Party

Labour started off with yet another press conference on the fiscal incentives it is prepared to offer. But what more important is the answer given by Joseph Muscat to a question on meritocracy, transparency and accountability – three ideals he made before the last election, and three ideals he failed to deliver. With the utmost of cheek, the PM made the same pledges.

In the afternoon, the PM was at home, with the General Workers Union, a union that in the past was statutorily married to the Labour Party and, in spite of their divorce, they are still sleeping together. The evening event in Ghaxaq only served to show Muscat’s fear on the Schembri case – he did not mention it in his speech, and that says so much.

Nationalist Party

Simon Busuttil stayed overnight in Gozo, and gave a press conference on the sister island in the morning. He said a Nationalist government would immediately start work on a permanent link between the two islands, adding Labour was much ado about nothing in this regard. He pledged a regional committee for Gozo, over and above the Gozo Ministry.

The Opposition Leader later visited the Maltapost offices, where he said he encouraged the PM to take up the challenge made by Marlene Farrugia for a public debate in Zurrieq. Muscat had replied that the PN should decide who its leader is, which earned him a few kudos, but what’s wrong with having a debate with Farrugia too?

Busuttil used his evening activity in Santa Venera to continue lashing out at the government following the news that had emerged earlier in the day, saying that Muscat and Schembri are one and the same thing. The PN is basing its campaign on corruption allegations, but it now needs to start saying what it plans for Malta if it wins the election.