Labour MEP Alfred Sant has called on PN MEP David Casa to resign from the EP after the publication of the Egrant inquiry findings.
Casa quickly fired back, saying that he would do no such thing.
In a press release, Sant said Russian whistleblower Maria Efimova was central to the Egrant allegations.
It has now resulted that she (Efimova), presented falsified documents to mount serious accusations against the PM and his wife, Sant said. (It has to be clarified that the report does not state that the falsified documents were supplied by Efimova. In fact, Pierre Portelli, who took the documents to the magistrate, said that Efimova had agreed to hand him the documents, but never actually supplied them to him).
Sant said that, over the past months he was disgusted to see Casa backing Efimova in the EP. “Among other things, he used EP funds to travel to Athens to stop her extradition to Malta because, according to him, she was being victimised.”
The PL’s head of EP delegation accused Casa of misleading socialist MEP Ana Gomes and other MEPs. The PN, he said, had used every defect in the financial sector to damage Malta’s reputation.
He said Casa was only interested in crucifying the Prime Minister. “In Athens he said he was speaking on behalf of the EP to defend Efimova, who has now been exposed as a criminal
David Casa should no longer have a place in the EP. The only decent thing left for him to do is to resign in the best interest of the EP, the country and his party.”
Reacting, Casa wrote to Sant: “I have always admired your integrity - but your continued backing of this filth that has hijacked your party has left me disappointed. Perhaps you were, and maybe still are, not aware of all the facts.
“Read this and then tell me who should be resigning and brought to justice,” posting a link to the FIAU report he published earlier in the day.
“With regard to my role at the European Parliament, I remind you that I am accountable to the Maltese electorate. Rest assured that I will continue to be the voice of those who are willing to fight against corruption and money laundering. I hope you will join me.”