The PN on Sunday demanded that Prime Minister Robert Abela removes Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri over the 200kg of cannabis resin stolen from Armed Forces of Malta property.

In a statement Sunday, the PN was reacting to this mornings’ reports where drugs were stolen from a confiscated shipping container which was being stored on army premises.

Camilleri offered his resignation; however, the Prime Minister refused it, and that an administrative inquiry would be appointed to investigate the case.

The PN demanded that Camilleri resign, and if he does not, that he be removed by the Prime Minister, just as the Permanent Secretary in the Home Affairs Ministry, under whose watch these scandals happened, should also be dismissed.

The PN also reiterated Opposition Leader Bernard Grech’s request, made this morning, that tomorrow, at the first opportunity, a parliamentary session is held during which an explanation must be given, and the Opposition is given the opportunity to ask questions and request clarifications from the Prime Minister about the case.

The PN said that Abela has lost every moral authority to make the necessary decisions.

“In the face of all the scandals involving Minister Camilleri, he continues to defend him,” the PN said.

It said that Abela’s decision not to accept Camilleri’s resignation confirms that the country has a weak Prime Minister who has lost every moral authority to make the necessary decisions.

“Abela continues to defend him despite all the scandals that have occurred and continue to occur under Camilleri’s watch. In defending Camilleri, Abela is also accountable for all the failings of his Home Affairs Minister his Cabinet,” the PN said.

The PN said it is incredible that, under both Camilleri’s and Abela’s watch, 200kg of drugs have been stolen, as if nothing had happened.

“It is inconceivable that 200kg of drugs are stolen, instead of being retained as part of a criminal case after being seized by the Freeport. Both Abela and Camilleri continue to do nothing,” the PN said.

It said that while Abela avoided speaking about this at Labour’s Sunday political event this morning, Abela now said that he will request an administrative inquiry.

The PN said that Abela has yet to explain, whose are the stolen drugs, what structural deficiencies led to this theft and what will be done about them, what these drugs were worth on the market, which case is associated with the seized drugs, and what steps he will now take now after a key piece of evidence in a criminal case was stolen.