The criminal complaint filed by Keith Schembri this morning is an attack against against democracy, Nationalist Party Leader Simon Busuttil said this evening.
Speaking in a news conference in the Parliament building, Busuttil said We have a situation that instead of investigating Keith SSchembri on corruption, the police are going to investigate me, who is fighting for justice after the police did not take any action. This is a crystal clear example that there is abuse of power which is preventing justice from happening.”
“This is not the first time that I had to go to court because I uncovered corruption that there is in Castille,” he said, repeating that “this is an attack against the Maltese population and democracy.”
Busuttil reminded those present that Schembri is under three separate magisterial inquiries; one regarding kickbacks from the sales of passports, secondly from payments to Adrian Hillman and the third is the one Busuttil requested last week. “The police did not interrogate or investigate despite FIAU reports, they did not even register the cases,” he said. He repeated that they have been referred to “textbook cases of money laundering”.
“He filed a criminal complaint regarding information which has already been public for a year," he said. “Instead of doing what is expected from him, and going on front of a Magistrate and giving his testimony, he files a criminal complaint.”
“They think that because they won the election they will shut the mouth of the opposition,” he said. “This is dictatorial, it is clear that the Government is abusing their power by using the police to stop anyone who tries to stop them. The police force was already being used by not taking action against Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi, but now they are being used by taking action against those trying to fight it.”
Asked by the press why he did not ask for the magisterial inquiry right after the Panama Papers came out, Busuttil said “I am doing what I can in my position. If I was police commissioner, if I were Prime Minister, if I were Attorney General, I would have much more power. I am doing more than expected, what I can do in my capability, that’s why I am appealing to everyone of goodwill to work together, otherwise the democracy in our country is going to fail.”
"The responsibility is of the police. I pushed for it so that institutions take place, when they still hadn’t, I took action myself. I am not going to be scared by this fascist move by Joseph Muscat and Keith Schembri. I will keep strengthening my determination until justice is served, until justice is found again. Today I am doing this as Leader of the Oppositio. I will keep doing this as an MP and as a common citizen. I will keep fighting till democracy is won and justice is served," he concluded.
OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri filed a criminal complaint against Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil this morning. The complaint was filed with the police commissioner.
Schembri claims that Busuttil fabricated facts that he knows do not exist and of taking a false oath in court applications filed. The latest application was filed by Busuttil on 14 July, requesting the Magistrates’ Court to open a criminal investigation on Schembri and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi for acquiring companies in Panama.
The Labour Party said Busuttil thinks he can say anything he likes and lie about people without answering for his actions.
It said all citizens in a democratic country have the right to take steps to stop people from lying about them.
Simon Busuttil was singing the same tune that led the PN to its biggest ever defeat.