PN Deputy Leader Beppe Fenech Adami said that Energy and Health Minister was not naive when he opened his offshore financial structures, but that he knew precisely what he was doing.
Dr Fenech Adami said this while delivering a speech about national security in Parliament this evening.
“There is corruption at every level. The scandals we had weeks ago pale in comparison to this most reason one. People begin to understand and put things into context when considering how millions were lost in the Gaffarena scandal and the Australia Hall scandal, all the while Konrad Mizzi had his secret company in Panama.”
Dr Fenech Adami discussed the “culture of corruption” Malta is experiencing currently. He spoke of how the public, as well as members of the Labour Party, is beginning to understand the gravity of the Panama Papers scandal.
The Panama Papers scandal refers to the leak of a trove of documents to a German newsroom together with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The documents divulge information on how the world’s most wealthy people, such as criminals, dictators, politicians and celebrities, used the services of Panamanian company Mossack Fonseca in order to conceal their wealth.
Energy and Health Minister Konrad Mizzi and the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff were found to concurrently hold trusts registered in New Zealand which each own a company registered in blacklisted Panama.
He slammed Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri for not offering their resignation, and also questioned how the Prime Minister cannot see how his lack of action is further impacting Malta in a negative way.
He said that when reading the international coverage of Panama Papers, once gauges the seriousness of the situation, calling this the worst human scandal in the world.
Dr Fenech Adami said that since the corruption is so entrenched at the top level of government, it is not hard to understand why corruption is prevalent at every level, from the smallest of actions to the largest.
Ministers are running away from people and journalists, which is a very troubling situation, Dr Fenech Adami said. Dr Mizzi has been found to be a liability and a burden to the Labour Party, he did not even have five minutes to talk to PL supporters after being made Deputy Leader of the party because of this scandal, he added. This shows how the situation has developed to farcical levels, he concluded.
Justice Minister Owen Bonnici
Justice Minister Owen Bonnici challenged Dr Fenech Adami to explain the million Euro he holds in his local bank account, as revealed by his ministerial declaration of assets. He also challenged him to subject himself to a tax audit, like Dr Mizzi has. Dr Beppe Fenech Adami brushed off this request, and insisted that "nobody outside is believing Konrad Mizzi."
Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela
Home Affairs Minister blasted Dr Fenech Adami for using two weights and two measures when talking about corruption.
He questioned whether the Nationalist Party learned of the word corruption in March 2013, when Labour came into power. He asked how Dr Fenech Adami has the audacity to speak at length about corruption when his party had wasted hundreds of millions of tax payers’ money in the building of Mater Dei Hospital, had changed a law to allow dirty gas be used for the power station “in order to benefit the chosen ones,” kept electricity bills persistently high and caused the oil scandal.
With regard to Mater Dei, it has been said that €150 million in order to fix the defects currently found in the new hospital.
He made reference to a PN statement where they said that they were unable to reduce electricity rates, and said that “of course they could not, this is the cost of corruption. This is a cost which is being paid by the public.”
“For the PN, democracy is a-la-carte. The hypocrisy for criticising the government about a criminal defamation case instituted by a private citizen against Jason Azzopardi is ridiculous,” he said.
He said it was completely hypocritical when members of the PN had made use of criminal libel and had every opportunity to remove the law in its 25 years in government.
Shadow Minister for transport Marthese Portelli ordered Energy and Health Minister Konrad Mizzi to “quit bluffing” about the corruption allegations made against him after the discovery of his secretive offshore financial structures.
She demanded that Dr Mizzi publish all contracts which he is signatory to, such as the Enemalta contract, the Shanghai Electric contract, the interconnector contract, the hedging agreement and the privatization of Karen Grech contract. Dr Portelli demanded that he publish them immediately.
“Malta has been put at risk and in jeopardy. He has laughed in people’s faces,” she said.
She questioned who is benefitting from the current prices of fuel at their current rate. Dr Portelli also questioned what is written in the contracts which has made Dr Mizzi want to keep them hidden.