Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has lodged a request for the parts of the magisterial inquiry that led to charges being issued against him in connection with the hospitals inquiry to be made public.
Muscat said that after a court decree to provide the magisterial inquiry report to 23 defendants, there was a risk of it being selectively published that would create an imbalance against him.
His lawyers also claimed that there was evidence that the inquiry report was already in the hands of third parties, including the NGO Repubblika which had instigated the investigation in the first place through a criminal complaint.
“As I have already stated before, after reviewing the parts of the inquiry that concern me, I am more than convinced that this is a case built on conjectures, lies, distortions of facts, and hearsay,” Muscat said in a Facebook post on Friday.
He said that it is his wish to publish the content he has in hand, but added that doing so would be against the law and showing contempt for the Court.
“Therefore, through my lawyers, I have requested that these parts of the inquiry become part of the court case before the Constitutional Court. This way, they will become public, and everyone, including journalists, will be able to obtain a copy,” he said.
“This is the only step I can take to legally publish this part of the inquiry, and I am committed to following the law. I am convinced that if this happens, it will be shown that this is just a castle of sand that will be swept away not just by a wave but by a tsunami,” Muscat said.
In a statement, the Nationalist Party said that the PN has been calling for the publication of the inquiry since it was concluded.
Muscat is being deceitful when he goes to court to publish the inquiry when he knows that only the Attorney General has the power to publish it.
So far, the only persons who have a copy of the inquiry are Prime Minister Robert Abela, Muscat and those who are facing accusations in relation to it, the PN said.
If Abela and Muscat truly believe that the inquiry should be published, they can do it immediately. If Abela and the Attorney General do not do so, the PN will take all necessary action to see the publication of the inquiry.
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In a radio interview with his friend and ardent supporter Manuel Cuschieri on the Labour Party’s radio station on Wednesday, Muscat said that the case was based around the testimony of an unnamed Indian national.
“This Indian man testified that he heard someone saying something and they believed him. Without checking. Without checking with whom he said he heard saying it. Without checking with me, without finding anything," he had said.
He said there is no documentation, "just the testimony of a person who testified he heard someone else saying that Joseph Muscat was taking money... you know how much, €16 million a year."
Muscat said that the inquiry didn't find money, but they decided to charge him anyway.
Muscat said that "whoever associated with, or instigated all this, will lead to the breaking up of the PN."