The Malta Independent 19 May 2024, Sunday
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ADPD says intimidation of magistrates must stop immediately

Wednesday, 8 May 2024, 11:58 Last update: about 11 days ago

The continuous irresponsible and rabble rousing speeches by the Prime Minister and even by Labour Party candidates, such as during a debate at MCAST yesterday, must stop immediately, ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said Wednesday

In a statement, she insisted that the Prime Minister's intimidatory speeches against magistrates should stop immediately. It is a shame that the Prime Minister not only found nothing wrong in having a picture of the inquiring Magistrate circulated, but even chose to justify this intimidating act as an exercise in accountability “towards the people”.

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It is dictators who use this kind of discourse to justify their actions. It is ironic and hypocritical for the Prime Minister to appeal for calm while at the same time riling up Labour Party hotheads and justifies systematic intimidation. It is also ironic that some time ago the Prime Minister had appealed for the institutions to be allowed to work, but it is now Robert Abela himself who wants to dictate to the institutions the when and the how they should act, Gauci reiterated.

The Prime Minister expected that 78 boxes of evidence could have somehow been collected ub sixty days, then objected that the report by the inquiring Magistrate be passed on to prosecutors. “The need for justice to be done and seen to be done goes beyond electoral deadlines” reiterated Sandra Gauci.

It is irrelevant whether government is happy with the outcome or not. It is pertinent to point out that after it had become evident that the hospitals' concession was vitiated and fraudulent, the Prime Minister was under an obligation to ask an inquiry himself, she said. He preferred impunity instead of duty and responsibility. Had it not been for civil society the inquiry about the shameful hospitals' concession would never have seen the light of day.

ADPD insisted that the Prime Minister desists from undermining confidence in the courts, from endangering the rule of law in our country. We call on the Prime Minister to allow institutions to carry out their work without pressure and intimidation so that justice can run its course, Gauci concluded.

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