PN MPs Karol Aquilina and Therese Comodini Cachia stated that Prime Minister Robert Abela is not being honest with the people and has no credibility moving forward after his “lack of action” with regards to MP Rosianne Cutajar.
“Although Robert Abela says that he wants to do everything possible for Malta to get removed from the FATF grey list, he continues to take decisions which tarnish Malta’s reputation even further”, Comodini Cachia said in a press conference on Tuesday.
Cutajar was found to have breached ethics by Standards Commissioner George Hyzler over a controversial Mdina property transaction she was involved in together with Yorgen Fenech. It is alleged that she pocketed thousands in brokerage fees and also received cash from the 17 Black owner and Daphne Caruana Galizia murder mastermind suspect.
It was reported that she and her close associate Charles Farrugia 'it-Tikka' had helped broker the Mdina €3.1 million property deal for Fenech. Fenech was trying to purchase the property from a certain Joe Camilleri.
The deal fell through after Fenech's November 2019 arrest and arraignment, and Camilleri is said to be chasing Cutajar to have her return a €46,500 brokerage fee he had paid her. Cutajar reportedly received a further €9,000 in cash from Fenech, while Farrugia received €31,000.
Soon after the publication of the report on Monday, Prime Minister Abela communicated that Cutajar’s resignation from Parliamentary Secretary – which had been temporary since February – would remain in force, and a statement later in the day said that Cutajar’s previous portfolio had been re-assigned to Owen Bonnici.
In the press conference, Comodini Cachia said that since Cutajar remains as a member of parliament, it shows that “Robert Abela does not have the power to remove Cutajar from the Labour parliamentary group”.
Comodini Cachia then drew attention to the charges which Cutajar has breached. “The fact that Robert Abela has not taken the right decision to remove Cutajar in the face of false declarations, tax evasion and association with corrupt individuals shows us how weak he is”, Comodini Cachia said.
Comodini Cachia also said that Cutajar didn’t deny the facts which were published in the Hyzler report. Cutajar had said on various social media platforms that she will not give up her seat in parliament regardless of the results of the report.
Aquilina finished off the press conference by saying that “Yesterday, Robert Abela had a golden opportunity to take the decision which benefitted the country rather than the Labour Party”.
Aquilina said that this shows that the Prime Minister is being held “hostage” by Cutajar and that his hands are tied.
Both Comodini Cachia and Aquilina stated that Abela has to be cautions in continuing to do things the way ex-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat used to, noting that he could not afford to keep those who are found to have done wrong close to him.
PL Reaction: If Bernard Grech had to decide he would have to start from himself
In a short statement, the Labour Party reacted to the press conference by saying that it was clear that the Maltese and Gozitan people know that it's the Nationalist Party which lacks credibility when it says that Robert Abela doesn't take decisions.
This is because they are the biggest witnesses of the decisions which Abela has taken, including in difficult situations.
It is Opposition Leader Bernard Grech who does not decide, and with good reason - because if he were to start taking decisions, he would have to start from himself, the PL said.