Since they are responsible for the fraud they committed, Ministers Clayton Bartolo and Clint Camilleri should start by returning the stolen money, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said Monday..
Grech was interviewed this evening by Saviour Balzan on the programme Xtra on TVM, where reference was also made to the fraud committed by Ministers Clayton Bartolo and Clint Camilleri when Minister Bartolo's partner (now his wife) was given a phantom consultancy role with a salary of nearly €70,000.
He recalled how, earlier in the day, Robert Abela said that this case of fraud was closed because he had dismissed Amanda Muscat. The Leader of the Partit Nazzjonalista asked why he dismissed her if he truly believed that Amanda Muscat was doing her job, as he claimed in recent days. In reality, Robert Abela dismissed Amanda Muscat because he knew she was being paid for doing nothing, and therefore, he should take action against those who were paying her with public funds for no reason.
The PN leader reiterated that those who allowed this theft and fraud have no place in government and should resign. If they don't, Robert Abela is obliged to remove them. However, Robert Abela is compromised because, as he himself said, he is part of a "devil's pact" and therefore cannot act against those involved in these wrongdoings.
Bernard Grech also noted that the Partit Nazzjonalista is attracting new people who feel comfortable approaching the Party to share their ideas, as well as people who have been involved with the Party over the years but, for some reason, had been distanced or sidelined. In this way, the Partit Nazzjonalista can build a coalition with Maltese and Gozitans of goodwill who wish to see a change in the way things are done. Among these are social partners who agree with many of the Partit Nazzjonalista's ideas and proposals.
Grech explained that our country needs a change in direction. He reiterated that only the Partit Nazzjonalista can provide that direction. He recalled how, from the beginning, upon becoming Party Leader, he started addressing the challenges and issues faced by people. Among these was the increase in population; in his first meeting with Robert Abela just a few days after becoming the Leader of the Partit Nazzjonalista, he identified this and wanted to address it, even though, at the time, this challenge wasn't as evident as it is today.
When asked about the PN's vision for the economy, he recalled how the Partit Nazzjonalista has long been highlighting the need for investment in new economic sectors, including the creation of a €1,000 million fund for economic transformation. This would drive and foster new sectors while evolving the next generation of existing sectors through a programme that finances half of the capital investment of eligible enterprises that meet ESG (environmental, social, and good governance) criteria.
Grech added that, by investing in new economic sectors that are not labour-intensive, we can address the challenges brought by excessive population growth, thus ensuring that the economy continues to grow without the population continuing to explode. A new Nationalist Government would reduce tax for those who invest to strengthen their companies, grow the Maltese economy, and keep more money in people's hands.