Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech has called out Prime Minister Robert Abela for being "silent and absent" on the day that the court ruled that there is enough prima facie evidence for both ex-Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne and current Central Bank Governor, Edward Scicluna to be indicted.
During a radio interview on NET FM, Grech criticised Prime Minister Abela for "lacking the moral fibre to do the right thing." The PN head said that the Prime Minister is "compromised" because of his infamous pact to protect the interests of "a few criminals" in order to become Prime Minister after Joseph Muscat's resignation from the post.
He condemned Abela for remaining silent on the day of the court ruling. He also questioned as to why he has not yet asked Central Bank Governor Edward Scicluna to resign from his position, or commented that he expects him to resign, or that he does not trust him to hold the top position any longer.
He concluded by calling for the people to work together to change the country's direction and that the only way they can complete this "final step" is by forcing a change of government.
Grech remarked that he is not happy with Wednesday morning's news that investigations shall continue into both Fearne and Scicluna. He said that having high officials such as themselves have enough prima facie evidence against them results in Malta "once again" being in international headlines "for the wrong reasons."
"This country, with each passing day, is hitting new lows," Grech said.
He continued that these emerging court results are further evidence that the present government has no direction to work in the country's interests. Grech called the present administration "lethargic", "tired."
Grech noted that this is one of many reasons that Maltese and Gozitans are frustrated. Elaborating on this further, he said that PN politicians have observed "great anger and frustration" when meeting people in the streets.
"People are showing that they are not only tired of this Labour leadership, but they are angrily looking to us to be the government that this country needs," Grech said.
He added that because of this increasing sentiment, the sense of responsibility is increasing everyday "for this party to be the hope and the direction that this country needs."
"In June's elections, I kept saying that our country is at a crossroads," he said. "Our country must be freed from the leadership of the few who decided before 2013 that they can make Malta theirs and that they can govern to steal without getting caught."
The Nationalist Party leader said that what has happened amongst the country's top brass greatly resembles the spreading of mould from one mouldy fruit to the rest of the fruit basket.
Grech reminded listeners that PM Abela spent four years defending the Steward case in Court through which "he did everything for the people not to get the hospitals back." He also described how Abela remains adamant for a case not to be opened by the State Advocate in order for the people to get the €400 million back from the fraudulent hospitals deal.
Grech said that the incumbent administration "continues to destroy our country" and that the people are obliged to do their part to "save this country."
"This government has become a parasite to our taxes because they take our taxes and do what they like," Grech stated. In this regard, he mentioned that the country's debt has doubled and that the country's infrastructures are not adapting with its rapid population growth.
He concluded by saying that when the country was historically at its edge, "the country has always needed a Nationalist government." He thus reiterated his call for people to unite, irrespective of whom they support, to "work together so we can provide hope to this country and give it what it deserves."