Fenech Adami accuses government of ‘cover-ups’ in Daphne Caruana Galizia murder

Nationalist MP Beppe Fenech Adami has accused the Maltese government of "coverups" to prevent the murder case of Daphne Caruana Galizia from being solved.

Fenech Adami levelled the accusation in Parliament on Tuesday evening after asking Transport Minister Ian Borg whether he had watched the film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri – which he said was the inspiration behind the billboards put up by Occupy Justice in Malta.

While the question was met with objections from the Speaker and other members of the House, Fenech Adami insisted that the question was not a hypothetical or ironic one. He said the billboards were "inspired by a true story which happened in the US, which had similar dynamics as those in Malta today" with the government involved in "coverups" to prevent Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder case from being solved.

When asked by Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi if it was the ministry that gave the order for the Occupy Justice billboards to be removed, Borg said that the Planning Authority is independent and autonomous. The action was the PA's initiative.

The reason for the billboards being removed, Borg insisted, was that they were illegal.

Asked by Fenech Adami whether the minister was aware of the operation to remove the billboards, Borg said that the ministry is not involved in actions taken by the PA, nor does he think he should be.

"Illegality is not a question of interpretation. If you have a permit from the PA it should be supported by the Lands Authority, notwithstanding the fact that billboard might not be on public land, and a licence from Transport Malta," Borg said.

Responding to a question by Deputy Speaker Claudette Buttigieg, Borg said that other billboards were also removed on the day, not only those by Occupy Justice. Three billboards were also found to have been stealing electricity from Enemalta, and this was also dealt with, Borg said.