Minister within the office of the Prime Minister Carmelo Abela said that he is not worried about the allegations against him regarding his alleged involvement in a failed bank heist.
This comes after Abela was accused of being involved in the failed HSBC heist back in 2010 by PN MP Jason Azzopardi, where the latter said that Abela was promised €300,000 in exchange for helping the would-be robbers .
Abela filed an urgent libel case against the PN MP soon after, and has categorically denied any involvement in the failed heist.
“I am serene because I did not do anything of what was alleged, but I would like to know the motive and maybe at some point it will come out,” he said.
Since the Labour government has been mired in a number of scandals as of recent years, this newspaper asked Abela why people should believe that these are lies, and if so, what the motive behind such lies is.
“I am as curious as you are, if not more, as I am the person who is suffering from this calumny. However, with me there is also my family, who simply because I got into politics, got into this with me automatically - without any fault as it was my decision to get into politics,” Abela said.
“But it should not be the case that people who hold a political position must face such lies and calumnies.”
Abela remarked that if there is political motive behind the accusations, it is not right, as one expects to have debates and arguments in a democracy, but not such “false accusations”.
“If we don’t agree because we work in two different parties, that is something different; we are in a democracy here. We can agree and disagree on some things, this is normal,” he said.
“I am going to continue fighting so that, firstly, my name does not get tarnished with associations to criminals and these criminal activities where even deaths could have occurred… secondly, these are serious allegations, so that is why I want to understand why, unless there is a motive of partisan politics.”
Video: Newsbook.com.mt