PM insists no confidence motion will have to wait for completion of inquiry

Joseph Muscat expresses disappointment at shooting incident • Video by Ray Attard

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat today said that the debate and vote on the motion of no confidence tabled by the opposition against home affairs minister Manuel Mallia should only be held once the inquiry led by three retied members of the judiciary is completed.

“When you have a leader of the opposition who is not taking action against George Pullicino, the least we can do is wait for the end of a magisterial inquiry that cannot take longer than 15 days. After this we will not delay in discussing the motion.”

On Wednesday, the opposition presented a no confidence motion in Mallia after one of his drivers shot at lest two shots at a vehicle following a minor traffic accident in Gzira.

Following the incident, Muscat appointed a three-men commission led by retired Alberto Magri to establish whether the ministry mishandled the case. The opposition is accusing Mallia of covering up the truth and is calling on the minister to shoulder political responsibility.

Muscat also bound himself to “immediately” publish the results of the separate magisterial inquiry into the shooting of a vehicle by Mallia’s former driver and police constable Paul Sheehan, putting to bed rumours that he would wait 15 days after the report’s completion.

Asked whether he was disappointed at the level of training of armed escorts, Muscat denied having made any such claims and once again underlined his “disappointment” at Sheehan’s actions, especially since he is a police officer.”