Robert Abela should kick Joseph Muscat out of the Labour Party and strip him of any honours bestowed upon him by the State, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said today.
The PM should also apologise to the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the Maltese people, on behalf of the State, for the impunity that led to the journalist’s murder, he added.
Grech was addressing a press conference a few hours after the publication of the conclusions of the inquiry into Daphne’s assassination.
The inquiry, he said, had pointed to a lack of action by the authorities, a lack of adequate protection for the journalist and a campaign of hate mounted against her from the Office of the Prime Minister.
“Those who were supposed to protect us facilitated this macabre killing. Daphne was demonised and stripped of protection. Instead of protecting her, they protected their own interests,” he said.
Grech said that Muscat had kept Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri by his side in 2016, after the Panama Papers revelations. The following year, he continued to defend them despite the 17 Black scandal.
“Instead of choosing you, choosing Malta, they decided, because it suited them, to choose their criminal friends. It is now clearer than ever that those involved should not have been retained in cabinet. No member of Muscat’s Cabinet can be excused for failing to take action.”
Grech said that anyone involved had to be kicked out. “Because of this shortcoming, the Cabinet and the PL Parliamentary Group have a collective responsibility to shoulder. In this context, Robert Abela has to tell us who will shoulder the responsibility for this inaction. This is not a time for words, but a time for real action.”
“What excuse will Robert Abela find this time to keep these people in his Cabinet,” Grech asked.
“This is a very important responsibility. We will do our utmost to see that Daphne’s death, and the suffering of those close to her will not have been in vain. We will ensure that we give protection to journalists and whistleblowers. Never again will be allow such things to happen, to leave one of us at risk like the risk Daphne faced.”
Asked if current ministers who also formed part of Muscat’s Cabinet should resign, Grech said they should no longer hold any public roles. “They failed the Maltese public – they were trusted and they betrayed that trust and used their role against the country’s interests.”
The Opposition Leader said the PM should also state that he accepts the outcome of the inquiry and to work on the recommendations.
“He should cast out Joseph Muscat. He should admit that Muscat led the country into this situation and kick him out of the PL without any delay. He should admit that this is Muscat’s legacy and strip him of all honours bestowed upon him by the State. He needs to ensure that the police commissioner does his duty and acts against those responsible for the impunity that led to this murder.”
Asked if a general election should be held, Grech said now is the time for the government and the Opposition to work together to fix the damage that has been done. He noted that Muscat had called an election in 2017, in a bid to make the damage go away, but the opposite had happened.
“If these recommendations are not followed, I will continue to try to convince people so that what Robert Abela did not do, I will do,” Grech said.
Photos: Giuseppe Attard