Minister for EU Affairs and Equality Helena Dalli does not believe that Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar and Attorney General Peter Grech should resign. She also questioned why the Nationalist Party was pushing for the discussion now when the party had failed to reform the roles when it was in government.

Last Sunday’s demonstration in Sliema saw renewed calls by the Civil Society Network for the resignation of the Police Commissioner and Attorney General, and for their replacements to be approved by a two-thirds parliamentary majority.

The PN also presented a motion to discuss the proposals put forward by CSN, which was debated in parliament yesterday.

“If they wanted these changes, they could have presented the bill themselves in the 25 years they were in government,” Dalli said, when answering questions by The Malta Independent.

The minister highlighted the introduction of a Commission for Human Rights and Equality, which is based on the Paris Principles and will fall under the jurisdiction of the Speaker of the House and not any Prime Minister or Minister.

Dalli emphasised that the commissioner will also have to be approved by a two-thirds  parliamentary majority.

“Under PN administrations, Dr Said Pullicino went to four separate ministers to propose the introduction of this commission, but none of them accepted this. When you speak about these things, all I can tell you that it is the PL that is creating this commission.”

Last Thursday, President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Guy Verhofstaft announced that the European Parliament will send a delegation to Malta to investigate the rule of law, corruption and money laundering.

An EP debate on the subject has also been scheduled for 14 November.

Asked whether she believed the investigation was warranted, the minister said the country “is open to whoever wants to investigate. I think that if it is a process that has to happen, it has to happen.”