Opposition leader Bernard Grech said that the Robert Abela’s government is in total collapse, condemning the PL for its huge irresponsibility as it “stands idly by while the island suffers.”

“Instead of being honest with the Maltese public, the Prime Minister is portraying a false illusion about the current Covid-19 numbers,” Grech said in an interview with NET TV on Wednesday. He added that the rising cases is a delicate situation, yet it is not being treated as such.

“The government is giving off the impression that it is business as usual,” he said.

Grech condemned allowing mass events to continue to happen when the country’s Covid-19 situation has become alarming, with almost 600 cases reported only today.

“Instead of protecting the people, the Prime Minister protects the corrupt individuals within the government who are still allowed to enter Parliament,” he said, naming Konrad Mizzi as an example.

By refusing to confront the problem, there is continuity in the corruption, resulting in damage to the government, and consequently damage to the country, Grech said.

Abela has continued to defend Konrad Mizzi, Edward Zammit Lewis and Rosianne Cutajar despite their scandals, which has brought upon the country a declining reputation, he said.

“Those who have small problems with falling behind in their taxes are treated as criminals, they bring them to court and make a show out of them just so that they can prove that action is being taken and the institutions are doing their jobs,” Grech said. “Meanwhile, Ian Castaldi Paris is given only a slap on the wrist,” he added.

It seems as if there are different laws applying to these corrupt individuals, and those applying to the public, said Grech.

Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi have been banned from travelling to the United States over their “involvement in significant corruption,” the U.S State Department revealed in a statement today. The document, of which Grech read from today, stated that the two individuals were involved in a corrupt scheme in the contract for the construction of the Electrogas powerplant.

Grech said that it is inevitable that the government has become weak when even the U.S is saying to stop trusting these individuals. Meanwhile, in Malta, an entire Labour Party votes with Konrad Mizzi in Parliament, defending the corrupt deal with Vitals Global Healthcare, he said.

The PN leader said that schools and educators are uncertain and lost on what to do after the festive holidays due to Covid-19 – do they go back to school or not? He pointed out that MUMN have said that the hospital is full and frontliners are exhausted. Grech also said that the situation is worrying employers, who are having to figure out how to pay their employees when there is little income to begin with. People have resorted to selling their party tickets on social media, he said.

Grech insisted that the public need guidance, and a PN government would allow for the country to gain back its reputation, whilst a PL one sits idly by.