An Opposition request to hold an urgent debate on the current political situation was turned down by the Speaker on Monday evening, but PN Leader Adrian Delia still got his way and managed to speak about the subject.

At the start of the sitting, Delia said he was invoking Permanent Order 13, which allows a member to request a debate on a definite and urgent issue.

He said the debate was being requested in view of the fact that the owner of 17 Black was being interrogated as an alleged mastermind in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. The same person had also been caught trying to bribe Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri

The Prime Minister is still strongly defending these two individuals, he said.

In the course of the investigation, the police spoke to a minister, Chris Cardona, and members of his secretariat. "Organised crime infiltrated the highest corridors of power and is holding the government hostage. This is an unprecedented constitutional and institutional crisis," he said.

He quoted Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne, who said the murder had caused almost irreparable damage to the country.

Replying, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the investigations were ongoing and he could not comment on the matter. He is willing, however, to hold a full debate once those investigations are concluded.

"If this debate takes place today, I will not be in a position to share all information that this House deserves."

He also said the Permanent Order being quoted by the Opposition speaks of a defined subject. The wording, however, which includes the words "still developing", shows that the subject is not, in fact, defined.

He also said that the President had taken up his advice to grant a pardon to the middleman, while there is a second pending request. Muscat reaffirmed the government's commitment to see the case closed, something which should happen in a matter of hours or days. "As soon as that happens, we will have a debate."

Adrian Delia pointed out that the Opposition was not asking to debate the criminal investigation, but rather the government's actions. "To see how, together, we can try to salvage the country's reputation. The immediacy we are taking about has nothing to do with the criminal case but with the damage being done due to the PM's defence of these two individuals," he continued.

Ruling on the matter, Speaker Anglu Farrugia said that three requisites are required to invoke article 13 - that the issue is defined, is of public importance and is urgent. While the first two requisites were satisfied, the Speaker said he does not feel that the House should suspend its work to debate this issue when the investigations are ongoing.

If the debate takes place, the Speaker cannot control the debate in such a way that it does not jeopardise the investigation. This could impinge on the right to a fair trial, Farrugia said.  

The first item on the agenda was the Eco-Contribution Bill. Defying the ruling, Delia rose up to speak, saying that the country was defined by the constitution as a democratic republic.

"We are here because we want justice to be carried out. We want to ensure that no one, intentionally or unintentionally, hinders the justice process. We want to ensure that judicial processes are not taken over by politicians."

At this point, Speaker Anglu Farrugia pointed out that the debate was on the Eco-Contribution and warned him to obey the ruling.

Delia retorted that he was speaking about the country's "polluted" environment, and scandal that was linked to a power station deal aimed not to benefit the people but certain people in power.

Government Whip Byron Camilleri said the government had no problem allowing Delia to say what he wanted but insisted that he was in breach of standing orders.

Continuing, Delia said the country has lost its independence because the institutions are no longer independent. This is an abuse of the democratic system, he said, a very serious deficiency. Muscat has turned the Police Commissioner into an "ornament."

The hijacking of the institutions started from the first hours of Muscat's government, he said. These included the army and the police force.

He spoke of how police commissioners were replaced, and how FIAU reports went forgotten. Instead of acting, the PM kept defending Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi. In a country where the institutions work well, the police would have prosecuted the duo, he said.

"What's happening now is the sowing of the seeds you planted in your first weeks in office," he told the PM.

People have a right to know what the PM knows, and whether the PM passed the information on to the police.

The government disnatured Parliament from carrying out its function of acting as its watchdog.

Delia said the Opposition was not alone in fighting corruption, pointing to the protest taking place outside, and the independent media, which was constantly uncovering corruption.

There was some commotion at the end when the Opposition requested to extend the debate, which was denied.  

Post-debate comments

Speaking after the debate, Delia said today we have a surreal situation where people are demanding justice and the rule of law.

“Everyone is talking on the precarious situation in this country. The government is evading the courts and a discussion in the country’s highest institution. It refused to debate on this constitutional crisis. The Opposition did everything it could to pass a motion which the government refused, but we still decided to talk about the most important thing – democracy, justice and the safeguarding of the rule of law. We will not stop here and will take all necessary action to be the voice of the people. Malta deserves better.”

Video: Alenka Falzon