When will The Prime Minister start listening to what so many sectors of society have been saying.

Stop attacking the judiciary.

He has taken many opportunities to attack the Vitals magisterial inquiry and tried to shed doubts on it and the magistrate who carried it out.

A message that Abela’s actions are wrong has been sent by so many who are not tied to a political party, yet Abela continues to ignore such calls. He is not a normal citizen, but the head of government. His words carry weight. The courts will determine who is guilty and who is not.

The island’s three major employer bodies - The Malta Employers’ Association, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, as well as the Malta Chamber of SMEs had said, in a joint statement, that the current situation regarding the magisterial inquiry on the Vitals Hospitals deal poses a serious risk to economic stability and Malta’s international reputation. “The attacks on the judiciary strike at the heart of Malta’s democratic credentials and challenge basic principles of governance,” the organisations said as they demanded an urgent meeting with social partners. “Malta, having already suffered through being grey-listed, cannot afford further reputational damage. Branding individuals, organizations, and institutions as ‘the establishment’ or enemies of the state does not contribute to the cause of justice,” they added.

The Chamber of Advocates had said that criticism for political and partisan aims against the judiciary should not occur, and warned the Prime Minister to weigh his words and not undermine the judiciary and its work.

Students representatives, the KSU, have also condemned Prime Minister Abela’s statements implying that the Courts had been influenced by political considerations.

Students even held a protest in front of the law courts in solidarity with the judiciary and condemned the statements Abela has made.

University academics said that the “attacks undermine the independence of a critical institution (...) An impartial judiciary is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy, ensuring justice is served without fear or favour. We firmly believe that the truth is essential for a just society. Only when institutions, including the judiciary, can function independently and without intimidation can the truth be revealed.”

The aditus foundation has said that the Prime Minister's statements attacking the judiciary and journalists 'pose a grave threat to the foundations of democracy.'

Repubblika has said that Abela is helping Joseph Muscat with a campaign of intimidation.

The PN has also condemned Abela’s statements.

The attacks against the inquiring magistrate and the inquiry by the country’s Prime Minister, who with his words is only casting doubt on the inquiry process and resulting in intimidation tactics, could impact the court cases in a way where any who are guilty, might get off free. He needs to stop endangering the process.

Abela’s statements are dangerous and can be intimidating to the members of the judiciary who will need to hear the case, as well as the prosecution.

One must also stress the point that the very best of the Attorney General’s lawyers, and those with experience, must be the ones to handle such a high profile case. It would not be just to place such a case in the hands of those who do not have the required experience.

It must also be said that those in public office who face charges must step down pending the outcome of the court cases. Fearne did well to do so as he knew that by staying on, he would damage the country’s reputation. There is also a need for the Vitals inquiry to be published, especially given the allegations made that Prime Minister Robert Abela has a copy, and that said copy has been shown to others. In the name of transparency, the whole inquiry should be published.