Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil this morning presented evidence that he says he has, to Magistrate Galea Sciberras, who is currently conducting a magisterial inquiry on OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri and Nexia BT director Brian Tonna.

Busuttil has alleged that Schembri took kickbacks from Tonna from the same of citizenship.

"If we were a normal country, there would never be the need for the Leader of the Opposition to do what I just did," Dr Busuttil told the press outside court.

Continuing, he explained that it would be the police, through its investigations, that does so. "In a normal country, it would be the Attorney General, who has known about the case for a year, who does his duty. In a normal country, Keith Schembri would have been arrested, interrogated and charged. In a normal country, a Prime Minister would have resigned," Dr Busuttil said. 

Replying to questions by this newspaper, Dr Busuttil added that "If things had happened as they were meant to, we would not be going through all this,"

"The results of the magistrate must show whether there is enough proof to start criminal accusations against Keith Schembri and if so proceed to court," he said.

"With the proof I presented, I cannot find a different conclusion which should result, but as you are saying, the report of the magistrate is not made public and goes to the Attorney General, who has already known about this report and it also could go to the police again, who has also known about it and done nothing," he said.

Last week, this newspaper explained that 'once the inquiry is concluded, the magistrate will draw a report, which is made up of all testimony and is known as the 'proces verbal'. This report is then sent to the Attorney General, together with recommendations. Should the proces verbal, which contains all expert evidence as well as testimony, include a recommendation that action be taken against somebody, a copy is sent to the police.' 

Dr Busuttil was asked whether he is concerned that the report of the Magesterial Inquiry will have the same fate as the FIAU report, seeing as it will be presented in the hands of the same authorities, who have allegedly not taken action.

He went on to say that this shows that "this is not only about corruption linked with three people in Castille, it is completely institutional failure. Those people who are supposed to be protecting citizens, are instead protecting criminals."

"The problem is the institutional collapse that Joseph Muscat has created. And if there is one reason why the Maltese population has to remove him from Castille on 3 June, it is this," he concluded.