PN Leader Simon Busuttil has described the government as an Orwellian by attempting to silence the opposition, despite preaching in favour national unity, after OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri filed a criminal complaint against him.
PM chief of staff Keith Schembri had filed a criminal complaint with the police commissioner by lawyers Edward Gatt and Mark Vassallo against Busuttil, after he requested a Magistrates Court to open a criminal investigation on Schembri and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi for acquiring companies in Panama, on 14 July.
Schembri claims that Busuttil fabricated facts that he knows do not exist and of taking a false oath in court applications filed.
Speaking on Radio 101, the PN's radio station, Busuttil said it was "incredible, especially from a government that preached that it was in favour of national unity. They are trying to silence the opposition, this happens in a dictatorship and not a democracy."
"Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri were caught with secret companies in Panama, in a 'textbook case of money laundering', something which will land you in prison for 18 months;
He made this recourse, Busuttil explained, because even though Mizzi and Schembri's involvement was "the worst scandal in Maltese political history", the police failed to investigate.
"The PM failed to take action before and after the election. Even worse is the Police Commissioner, who is meant to investigate these allegations, and the Attorney General, who is the chairman of the FIAU."
"Once it was not investigated, I felt I had no choice but to go forward towards a magistrate, in order to show that there are politicians who are interested in finding justice."
"The election has not washed away their sins. A criminal act remains a criminal act."
"If a normal citizen did not pay their VAT or Income Tax, they would be sent to prison. However, Mizzi and Schembri, who have done a lot worse, are yet to be investigated."
"We can say that it was the PM's chief of staff who launched the complaint, but this is really coming from the PM."
Busuttil said that Schembri has filed a complaint based on something that is common knowledge around the world.
"Simon Busuttil did not write the Panama Papers; Simon Busuttil did not say that Mizzi and Schembri indicated that would be depositing up to 1 million euro. This is all information that was published during the Panama Papers."
"This case just shows that our institutions are being used in the opposite of their actual function. The Police Commissioner does not investigate them from a year, in the face of so many allegations, but then immediately launches an investigation against me."
Busuttil said that "it is like we are living in George Orwell's '1984'" and insinuated that this was a 'frame-up' against him.
"This is a fascist attack. For the first time in history that the government takes police action against the leader of the opposition."
VGH
Turning to the article published in The Times of Malta, which claims that Vitals Global Healthcare will be paid €188,000 a day, or nearly €70 million a year, to provide beds to the government at the Gozo, Karin Grech and St Luke's hospitals, Busuttil said that it was 'no surprise' that the agreement between VGH and the government was heavily redacted when tabled in Parliament.
Back in October 2016, Minister for Health Chris Fearne said that the redacted portions of the contract contained commercially sensitive material.
Busuttil said that that government will now be paying an extra €15 million a year, as Fearne had previously announced that until 2016, the government spent roughly €55 million government spent on the three hospitals.
He said that the government needed to provide an explanation for these revelations.
The agreement was initially signed by current Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi.