In a strongly worded press conference held by the Labour Party, Parliamentary Secretary Glenn Bedingfield and Minister for Justice Jonathan Attard accused the PN of engaging in what they described as a campaign of lies and political persecution.
Bedingfield opened the conference by asserting that the PN has descended into a politics of hatred and falsehoods, driven by desperation and a lack of alternative vision. He specifically referenced the case involving former minister Carmelo Abela, in which the Court of Appeal The upheld a decision that ordered Lawyer Jason Azzopardi to pay €7,000 in libel damages, where the court had ruled that a Facebook statement by Azzopardi defamed Abela by linking him to a failed HSBC heist in 2010.
"The PN is prepared to fabricate stories and destroy lives just to score political points," said Bedingfield. "This is not about justice or truth-this is about political gain at any cost, and it is the people who ultimately suffer."
Minister Jonathan Attard echoed these sentiments, arguing that the court's decision should serve as a moment of national reflection on the standards of political discourse. He highlighted that the allegations, pushed in part by PN figure Jason Azzopardi, were dismissed by the courts as baseless and irresponsible.
"Let us be clear: what happened to Carmelo Abela could happen to anyone," said Attard. "He was not just politically attacked-he was publicly branded a criminal with no proof whatsoever. This is a new low in Maltese politics."
Attard noted that Abela had not only cleared his name but had done so through legal means, refusing to back down under pressure. He accused the PN of silence in the wake of the ruling, calling on the opposition leader and candidates to publicly acknowledge the verdict and take responsibility for the smear.
"This is not just about one man," Attard continued, "It is about defending the rule of law and rejecting a culture of personal destruction."
The ministers concluded with a call for political maturity and unity, stating that Maltese politics must rise above personal vendettas and return to solutions-based governance.