Robert Abela wants to change the country's laws regarding how magistrates' inquiries are conducted because he committed to doing so as part of the diabolical deal he entered into with his predecessor, the Nationalist Party has alleged.
"With his comments, Robert Abela confirmed that he is terrified of the truth and justice because he knows that, like his predecessor, he is leading a Government riddled with corruption, with one Minister after another being implicated in serious cases of corruption, abuse of power, and misconduct."
The PN insists that the report from the Magistrates' Inquiry into the company 17 Black and the Panama Papers must be published by the Attorney General without further delay so that the Maltese and Gozitan people can know the extent of the theft through corruption.
"This morning, Robert Abela conveniently forgot to mention that the Electrogas powerstation project was created by the Labour Party specifically for corruption, involving the highest-ranking exponents of the Labour Government, including Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri, who openly admitted they always followed Joseph Muscat's instructions."
The PN will resist, by all means necessary and with full force, any move by Robert Abela to deprive or diminish every Maltese and Gozitan citizen's right to request a magistrates' inquiry, the party said. "It is scandalous that after months of attacking the country's Judges and Magistrates, Robert Abela now wants to change our country's laws to obstruct or stop them from fulfilling their primary duties: to seek the truth and deliver justice."
The PN said that in all corruption cases under the Labour Government, no action was ever taken by the Attorney General or the Commissioner of Police. "It was only through magistrates' inquiries that the truth came to light and legal action was taken in our country's courts against the highest-ranking figures of the Labour Party, including those involved in the diabolical deal."
In response, the Labour Party said that "when he finds himself cornered, the Opposition Leader repeats the same thing he is ordered to say by the PN extremist faction. After many attacks by this faction, those who have been giving orders to the PN Leader, in connection with the publication of an inquiry, are now empty handed."
The Prime Minister has already declared that in general he agrees with the publication of inquiries in respect of the right administration of justice, and explained that changes are needed in favour of strengthening transparency in the processes linked to inquiries, the PL said. "The Opposition's only motive is not in good faith but the incensed attacks against those who disagree with it. It was and will never change its approach - it is always correct and someone else is always wrong."
"A Labour Government remains always committed to providing security of energy supply at much cheaper prices than they were eleven years ago despite the international energy crisis, with a diversified energy mix which includes a powerstation running on natural gas, the second interconnector to be implemented, and renewable sources which the Opposition has always dragged its feet on. This will enable the people to continue paying among the cheapest energy bills in the Euro zone and with a guarantee of stability."