Labour calls on Busuttil to take action against Toni Bezzina

Labour Party calls on Simon Busuttil to take action against MP Toni Bezzina, who allegedly forced government workers to falsely declare that works they had carried out on a PN band club were of a voluntary nature. 

The Labour Party has called on Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil to take action against Toni Bezzina, following allegations that the MP had forced government workers to sign a false declaration in 2012.

On Sunday, Labour newspaper Kullhadd revealed parts of an inquiry alleging that Bezzina had ordered three civil servants to sign a false declration to a notary about painting works they were carrying out at the Zurrieq PN band club with government-funded materials.

At the time, Bezzina was a government architect working within the Resources Ministry under George Pullicino.

Bezzina, who was President of the band club, had allegedly ordered the workers to declare that they were carrying out the works in their own free time and on a voluntary basis.

Kullhadd first revealed the case in 2012, prompting Bezzina to file a libel suit against them.

A board of inquiry that the Resources Ministry had set up to investigate the case had acquitted Bezzina of all charges.

“Tony Bezzina has always enjoyed the absolute faith of Simon Busuttil,” the PL said in a statement. “The previous government had hidden the inquiry before the 2013 general elections, allowing Bezzina to contest the general elections on the fifth district.”

“In this legislature, Busuttil initially trusted Bezzina as Shadow Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and later on as Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries.

“Busuttil can’t keep his mouth closed. If he wants to change his political party, he has to do more than simply shift his MPs around. He has to show that it has an attitude in favour of clean politics and against abuse. He now faces another test of political responsibility.”