None of the police commissioners who served under the Labour governments in the last 10 years had the backbone to fight all that is wrong, Repubblika president Robert Aquilina said Monday.

The current commissioner, Angelo Gafa, has failed to take any action against the big fish since the story about the benefits fraud broke last week, he said.

It has been reported that some 800 people have received disability benefits they were not entitled to in exchange of votes and kickbacks. "This is a government that leads you into crime," Aquilina said.

Repubblika held a press conference outside the Office of the Prime Minister, with activists holding a banner with the word “corruption” written against a red background at the bottom of the steps leading to the building.

The police commissioners of the last 10 years were Peter Paul Zammit, L.P. (2013–2014), Michael Cassar (2014–2016), Lawrence Cutajar (2016–2020) and Angelo Gafa (2020–).

Aquilina stated that the investigative board set up by Minister Michael Falzon - the Minister under whom this "sea of abuse" is taking place - was set up with deceitful intent with the scope of serving as a smokescreen to cover up the root of this corruption.

Aquilina elaborated that if Minister Falzon as well as Prime Minister Robert Abela were truly worried and wished to seek justice on this pertinent issue, this investigative board would have not been set up this past Saturday; it would have been set up two years ago when this was first uncovered and Silvio Grixti was thus forced to resign from his position as an MP.

Repubblika stated that this abuse of the "highest level" was covered up because it was in the government's interest, considering the large number of people involved in this "illegal scheme".

The "scheme" did not occur on some random nights, but on the eve of the 2022 general election, with the full intent to buy votes for the Malta Labour Party. 

Aquilina said that it is clear that this board was solely set up because Robert Abela and Michael Falzon are connected, and therefore, "came up with this desperate manoeuvre to avoid shouldering the political responsibility which they (and others) should carry out of pure decency".

Repubblika highlighted that another week has passed since these events were published in local newspaper and two years since Silvio Grixti was forced to resign from his position in Parliament after getting caught in this scheme. The lobbying group then expressed its frustration as to how Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà is yet to arraign any of the persons implicated in this "criminal system".

The NGO's President then went on to describe the illegalities which occurred in the set-up of this system, mentioning the fabrication of false signatures from doctors, the falsification of government documents, the falsification of inexistent severe conditions through these documents and implicated persons, the usage of these false signatures to take money away from our disabled persons and the seriously ill, and the process of these misleading documents being accepted by a medical board.

Aquilina continued to describe this criminal system as a web of theft and corruption spread across various government departments and agencies through which votes were illegally purchased. Moreover, it was reiterated that ministers' canvassers - by taking in a year's worth of social benefits from involved citizens - got richer through these criminal commissions. 

Seeking justice for this corruption, Repubblika's President then listed the people involved in this scheme: persons of trust within the Ministries, i.e., employees wihtin the Ministries and Parliamentary Secretaries, people within the Labour Party, as well as persons of trust within the Office of the Prime Minister. Aquilina then indicated towards Castille behind him to firmly state that the acceptance of hundreds of false signatures were accepted by the people working inside.

Furthermore, further frustration was expressed by the NGO leader as he detailed how these implicated persons directed citizens into this social benefits scheme, even though some involved citizens were actually entitled for other types of social benefits.

"Other than a government that helps you...this is a government that leads you into crime."

Repubblika affirmed that a discussion is not required as to how social services should function, "as the government is trying to imply", though one is needed on "the criminal system conceived that is operated by criminal politicians".

Repubblika called for five points to be heeded: (1) for political responsibility to be shouldered by all those responsible, (2) for the minds behind this criminal system to face justice in the Courts at the earliest, (3) for the People to be given a full account of what has been stolen from them, (4) that every stolen cent is to be returned, and (5) for Robert Abela to stop using the tools of the state to protect himself and his fellow criminals.

Aquilina reiterated that with the evidence in hand, the implicated persons involved could have already been taken up to Court, however, in an effort to protect people in positions of power, these persons have instead been protected.

When questioned whether or not he think the Prime Minister should resign, Robert Aquilina responded: "It is evident that this corruption also involved Castille, and therefore, Robert Abela should not hold a public post - including that of Prime Minister".