Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech on Wednesday claimed that the decision by the Speaker to block a parliamentary debate on the publication of the hospitals inquiry was pre-arranged by Prime Minister Robert Abela.

During a rally in Tarxien on Wednesday, Grech said that while the Speaker was deliberating on whether to accept the motion for the urgent debate, the Prime Minister went to give a press conference in Castille for an hour and a half, proving that he knew the motion would be shot down.

Grech said that government was initially and apparently against corruption, going as far to make a law against the prescription on politicians to because they felt safe with their secret companies. He said that they never expected that these would be exposed and following the Panama Papers, they said everyone has a secret company and went on to ask for proof of corruption.

We found proof, Grech said, and they began to be exposed by journalists such as Daphne Caruana Galizia who paid the highest price for the truth. He questioned how the country hasn’t learned yet and noted that someone had to die before the truth is revealed that the country is run by a criminal organization, a “mafia”.

Grech said that the PN wanted to discuss what affects the people directly and went on to give various examples for which they offered solutions. This criminal organization affects the people directly as well, he said.

This is a serious and delicate moment, Grech said, and that he believes everyone, including the Labourites, never expected that, after 25 years in opposition, the PL would do this to them. He added that the Labourites feel betrayed.

Every day, Robert Abela is gathering a coalition of people against him that find his dictatorial behaviour unacceptable, Grech said citing the public inquiry of Jean Paul Sofia as an example where Abela amassed a coalition of people against him. He added that when we show resistance together, we change their direction.

Addressing Abela directly, Grech said he gave him various warnings, to stop opposing the people. He added that he will take down Malta with him if given the opportunity, but said the PN won’t let it happen.