The government has confirmed that the Magisterial inquiry reform Bill was not presented for moral reasons, PN Leader Bernard Grech has said.

"In an hour speech, Abela spent 55 minutes attacking people. He wants a country built on love, whilst he attacks those who do not bow their heads to him," Grech said.

Parliament was debating the magisterial inquiry reform Bill.

Grech said that the people, along with those which Abela did not manage to "buy" must speak up against this "tyranny."

He said that Abela cried crocodile tears for the supposed damage done to his friends, yet he has yet to apologise for the "witch hunt" against Giovanna Debono.

He said that this law proves that government has no faith in the judiciary, and condemned Abela's criticism and "demonisation" of previous Chief Justices who gave an impeccable service to the country, and who refused to bow to Abela.

"The Prime Minister wants to make it so difficult, almost impossible, for a citizen to request a magisterial inquiry, and tries to scare people so that if it goes wrong for them, if they could not manage to find the ultimate proof, then they would bear outstanding costs," Grech said.

Grech said the bill confirms that Abela has no faith in the judiciary and magistrates as he wants to "usurp and remove their rights to open an inquiry."

He continued that the bill removes their power and strength, and gives them to the Police Commissioner - the person who follows Abela's instructions. Just as he did when he confirmed he did not conduct an independent investigation in the Vitals case, Grech said.

He continued that Abela attacked the magistrate who investigated the death of Jean Paul Sofia, and made his mother beg for a public inquiry.

Grech said that government is "racing" to present a law which reduces citizens' rights to preserve their position, and so that citizens cannot ask for an investigation into government and its operations.

"Today, the Prime Minister named many people who he deemed innocent, but he did not mention Joseph Muscat. He did not mention him as innocent, as Abela wants to decide himself who is innocent and who is not," Grech said, adding that the PN has faith in the magistrate to continue in the quest of finding out the truth.

Grech said that Abela is stifling inquiries now after the hospitals theft was exposed. He questioned who will be bearing the costs of €400 million from Maltese taxpayer money in the three hospitals' case.

On Thursday, Grech said that the PN will discuss its motion on the high cost of living, and its solutions for the country.

PN MP Karol Aquilina said that the Prime Minister has admitted that for several years, government allowed the law to remain as is, and now that some of his government Ministers are being accused, Abela wants to change it.

Aquilina said that there were not "thousands" of magisterial inquiries opened by private citizens, but a few, and he will be going into detail on each one in Wednesday's sitting.

He said that despite the judiciary's powers which are embodied in the constitution, Abela has decided to take those powers away and give them to the police.

"We cannot accept this interference, abuse of this kind, from the Prime Minister of our country who wants to destroy basic rights," Aquilina said.

He mentioned a case, that of the murder of former accountant Lino Cauchi. "There are many such cases where the police refused to do their work," Aquilina said. He said that this "dangerous, irresponsible and anti-democratic" Bill does not have the peoples' mandate, but rather wants the dismantling of democratic institutions. He described the government as "authoritarian and dictatorial," which wants to keep the power to itself.