[WATCH] Joseph Muscat accuses detractors of political vendetta against him and Labour

Former Labour prime minister Joseph Muscat has claimed some of the country’s institutions are “working against Labourites” and hit out an ‘establishment’ that was taking out a political vendetta on him and the country.

Muscat, the subject of a potential prosecution on a five-year magisterial inquiry in the privatisation of three Maltese hospitals from his time as prime minister, accused his detractors of attempting to “jam the workings of the government” by pursuing the criminal complaint on the Vitals hospitals privatisation.

He was giving a press conference at the Excelsior Hotel after a court of criminal appeal confirmed that the magisterial inquiry had been handed over to the Attorney General.

Muscat expressed scepticism at the choice of the date in which Magistrate Gabriella Vella had filed her conclusions. “This case has taken five years, millions of euros, and only after another judge said steps would be taken unless this inquiry is finalised, together with indications of Repubblika’s prior knowledge of the inquiry’s outcome, shows this entire process has been vitiated.”

The conclusion of the magisterial inquiry into the sale of three public hospitals to Vitals Global Healthcare, was delivered to the Attorney General on 25 April.

Muscat has previously petitioned to the courts to remove the inquiring magistrate Gabriella Vella, claiming bias shown by the family members of the magistrate showed her judgement had been compromised.

The former Labour leader once again insisted he would face any form of justice without any fear, saying that his family and himself were prepared for the process, but that he would ensure his persecutors will answer for their actions. “Should I be freed from any accusations, I will make sure to seek damages from those responsible for this persecution,” Muscat said.

Muscat also said that elements inside the court were historically aligend with a Nationalist establishment. “The PN and Repubblika criticise the AG constantly… certainly any prosecution against me by the AG would do me no favours. Yes, the magistrate has acted politically. But I have trust in other members of the judiciary.”

His lawyer Charlon Gouder said Muscat was never indicated as a suspect in the complaint filed to the courts by the NGO Repubblika on the hospitals privatisation, pointing towards constitutional shortcomings in the way the inquiry was carried out.

Gouder claimed that the inquiry had been tainted by the political allegiances of Magistrate Vella’s family members and the statements they made on social media about the inquiry. “This inquiry has been polluted by this bias, and because of this lack of trust in the magistrate, together with the ongoing cases on constitutional breaches, should have stayed the conclusion of the inquiry.”

Gouder said Muscat was never asked to testify before this inquiry, despite his wish to do so.

78 boxes of evidence had been sent together with the inquiry to the AG, and while no information about the outcome of the inquiry has emerged, the hostile stance adopted by Prime Minister Robert Abela last Sunday suggests an unfavourable outcome for his party.

Abela accused the judiciary of “political terrorism”, a statement repeated by Muscat to reporters as he entered the law courts on Tuesday morning.

News of the magisterial inquiry being filed on 25 April, the day nominations for the European elections were opened, irked Muscat’s allies like Jason Micallef, the chairman of the Valletta Cultural Agency.

“The prime minister was right… four years and a half to conclude this inquiry, which is then finalised and sent to the AG on the day nominations for a European election open, and the start of an electoral campaign. No to political persecution and political terrorism,” Micallef said.

Muscat had previously toyed with a bid for an MEP’s seat, which he never took up. Micallef, a supporter of Muscat, likened the possible prosecution of the former PM to the interdict issued by the Catholic archdiocese against the Labour Party in the 1960s. “Thousands of Labourites resisted it. 65 years later we will resist this persecution.”

READ ALSO: Abela doubles down on ‘political terrorism’ remarks - Magistrate purposely chose start of election campaign to conclude inquiry