Prime Minister Robert Abela’s residence – Girgenti Palace – hosted a lavish concert mere hours after the government shot down a motion to appoint a public inquiry to look into whether the State and its authorities did enough to prevent the death of Jean Paul Sofia.

Footage and images uploaded to social media show that the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra entertained guests at the Prime Minister’s residence on Wednesday night.

One individual who uploaded a video of the concert lists his place of work as the Office of the Prime Minister, and tagged the personal accounts of both the Prime Minister and his wife Lydia Abela in the post.

Meanwhile, at least three contestants of the first season of the television show Love Island Malta also shared stories to their Instagram accounts showing them in attendance at the concert.

All three of those contestants also uploaded selfies at the event with the Prime Minister’s daughter Giorgia Mae, tagging her own Instagram account in the stories.

It was not immediately clear whether the Prime Minister himself was in attendance as he did not appear in any images uploaded to social media, but he himself admitted that he was there during an interview on Thursday.

One of the stories on Instagram shows a row of empty seats at the front of the audience while the concert is ongoing.

In a statement, the government said that the activity "A night at the palace" was a cultural event with the aim of raising funds for a "just cause"

The government said that it was not the first time that such an event was held, and it had been programmed for a number of months. The public could attend free of charge but could give donations towards animal welfare.

 

 

The event took place mere hours after the government voted against a motion to appoint a public inquiry to look into whether the State could have prevented the death of Jean Paul Sofia.

Sofia, 20, was killed last December after a construction site he was delivering tools at collapsed, burying him under the rubble.

His family have since mounted a campaign to call for a public inquiry into his death.  The campaign drew support from the opposition, NGOs, civil society and over 20,000 people who signed a petition in favour.

However, the government has continually resisted the calls, with the government insisting that such an inquiry would prejudice the ongoing magisterial inquiry.  The government in fact voted against a motion for the setting up of the inquiry in Parliament on Wednesday evening, instead choosing to favour amendments they made to the motion to encourage the inquiring magistrate to speed up with her investigations.

The decision prompted huge backlash from the family – who were ejected from Parliament’s galleries by the Speakers after shouting down to the Labour MPs after the vote – and from thousands on social media.

Posts boasting of the party being held at the Prime Minister’s Palace were on the receiving end of even less sympathy.

The vote against the public inquiry led to angry scenes inside and outside Parliament, with Sofia’s mother Isabel Bonnici vowing to fight on. “Will you be sleeping tonight”, was one angry call that was directed at Labour MPs who were walking out of Parliament building on Wednesday, after the sitting.

In a post on Facebook, Sammut said that Labour MPs will not be sleeping, not because they are sorry for what they have done, “but because Robert Abela invited them for a party at Girgenti,” the Prime Ministe’rs official residence.

“They are drinking champagne and celebrate their victory,” Sammut wrote. “And afterwards go on the yacht. Because now it’s summer,” he added sarcastically.

After the vote was taken on Wednesday, Parliament has risen for the summer recess and will meet again on 2 October.