The Malta Independent 10 February 2025, Monday
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PN labels Abela's 5 years as PM as being characterised by fraud, corruption, scandals, pigging out

Sunday, 12 January 2025, 18:59 Last update: about 28 days ago

The five years of Robert Abela as Prime Minister have been nothing but a continuation of what we saw before under the leadership of Joseph Muscat - five years of fraud, corruption, and scandals, the Nationalist Party said Sunday. You couldn't expect better from someone who made a backroom deal with a Prime Minister who was declared as the 2019 Person of the Year in Organized Crime and Corruption.  

In truth, Robert Abela is leading a Government that has been in power for almost 15 years - three legislatures of corruption, and throughout his leadership, the continuity from his predecessor, of whom he was previously a consultant, has been evident, the PN said.

The list of frauds that we have come to know of over these five years should make anyone with a sense of decency and seriousness blush - fraud in social benefits, fraud in social housing, fraud in identity cards, fraud in driving licence exams, fraud regarding traffic fines and the fraudulent employment of the Minister's girlfriend.

In his speech during the pompous celebration marking the fifth anniversary of his appointment as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party, Abela tried to make us forget that he is leading a Government plagued with case after case of fraud, corruption, and scandal.

On the contrary, we saw Robert Abela in Kordin - where he went to celebrate his fifth anniversary - once again telling us that he wants to change the laws of our country to limit the right of those who request an inquiry in the pursuit of justice. Abela wants to limit this right because he is afraid of the truth emerging, which continues to reveal how his Government is caught in a  web of corruption, with Minister after Minister caught abusing power and involved in scandals.

On the contrary, today Robert Abela told us that he is proud of his team and that he will continue to support Silvio Schembri and Clint Camilleri. Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri is still part of Abela's Cabinet despite being involved in the scandal of the fraudulent employment of former Minister Clayton Bartolo's partner. There is also a request for an investigation into Schembri regarding unexplained wealth, the PN said.

Today, Robert Abela once again told us that he is close to the people - the same people who are paying the price for the corruption of this Government, the same people who are still waiting to get back the €400 million stolen from them in the fraudulent hospitals deal.

Today, when Abela was lost in full rant attacking the Opposition, he had in front of him Chris Fearne, one of the people accused of fraud and money laundering in connection with the hospitals deal. He also had Justyne Caruana before him, who had been dismissed twice from the Cabinet in the same legislature and who today earns no less than €15,000 a month from four contracts, all with the blessing of Prime Minister Robert Abela.

But today, during the entire pompous celebration in Kordin, there was no Konrad Mizzi - one of the first people Abela went to hug during his appointment as Prime Minister five years ago - despite the fact that we already knew about the Panama Papers and 17 Black, the PN said.

The magisterial inquiry into 17 Black is another confirmation that the Labour government is riddled with corruption. The Partit Nazzjonalista will hold Robert Abela and Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg accountable for any failure to act against those involved in this scandal that led to the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

This inquiry and the other magisterial inquiries that are still to be concluded show that, just as former European Commissioner and former Labour Minister Karmenu Vella said in his speech today before Abela spoke, for the Labour Government: "the best is yet to come."


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