Ministers deny interfering in police investigations

They were responding, in parliament, to allegations of interference made by former FIAU investigator Jonathan Ferris

Both ministers were asked whether they had ever interfered in criminal investigations, specifically those involving Jonathan Ferris
Both ministers were asked whether they had ever interfered in criminal investigations, specifically those involving Jonathan Ferris

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo and Environment Minister Jose Herrera both denied interfering in police investigations, following allegations made over the weekend by former Financial Investigations Analysis Unit (FIAU) investigator Jonathan Ferris.

Herrera was asked by shadow Justice Minister Jason Azzopardi to react to media reports yesterday where Ferris claimed a minister had interfered in an investigation he was working on.

Asked whether he had ever interfered, or whether he was aware of interference by other ministers, Herrera said he had not read the report Azzopardi was referring to, while stressing that he had never interfered with any criminal investigation.

Herrera was then asked by Nationalist MP Beppe Fenech Adami, whether the Prime Minister had held meetings during the day with his ministers in order to determine whether it was any of them that had been referred to in the report.

Herrera once again said he was not aware of any meetings, pointing out that cabinet meetings took place on Tuesdays.

In a supplementary to another question, this time to Education Minister Evarist Bartolo, Azzopardi asked the same question, with Bartolo also denying ever interfering with any investigation.

Finally, Bartolo was asked by Nationalist MP Mario De Marco, if he could exclude that any of his colleagues had ever interfered with any of Ferris’ investigations.

“I am under no illusion of being some omnipotent god that know what is going on everywhere at all times,” replied Bartolo.