Politicians trade barbs over ‘leader inaction’ on MP-Gaffarena links

Representatives from Malta’s major political parties engaged in a heated exchange during Reporter on Monday over whether their respective party leaders have done enough to clamp down on MPs over cases linked to property entrepreneur Joe Gaffarena.

On one side, Labour backbencher Deborah Schembri accused Opposition leader Simon Busuttil of “weakness” for his refusal to fire former minister Joe Cassar for having failed to declare over €8,000 in house works paid for by Gaffarena.

On the other side, Nationalist MEP Therese Comodini Cachia insisted that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat already has enough information at his disposal as grounds on which to sack planning parliamentary secretary Michael Falzon over a controversial expropriation of half a Valletta building from Gaffarena’s son Marco.

However, a broader discussion on the roots of and possible solutions to politicians from both sides of the divide associating with businessmen of Gaffarena’s ilk was non-forthcoming.

“Clear proof in the form of published receipts shows that Cassar had broken the ministerial code of ethics,” Schembri said, instantly rejecting suggestions of comparisons between the two cases.

“Moreover, he had said in Parliament only last week that Gaffarena had absolutely nothing to do with works on his house. The receipts published on Sunday clearly prove those claims to be false.”

She vehemently rejected Cassar’s claim in an earlier press conference that the press should focus on whether he had granted anything to Gaffarena in return for what the entrepreneur had given him.

Citing the ministers’ code of ethics, she said that ministers are clearly prohibited from accepting free gifts or services, irrespective of whether they give anything back in return.

“Ethics is crucial amongst politicians, and is indeed what we truly mean when we constantly talk about the need to raise political standards. Busuttil should have fired him from the party, but is clearly incapable of taking hard decisions.”

However, Comodini Cachia insisted that Busuttil’s “punishment” to Cassar – stripping him off his culture spokesperson role- was proportionate to what has so far been revealed about his Gaffarena links.

“While Cassar truly committed a gross error of judgement, he didn’t abuse his ministerial power, break the law, or misuse public funds,” she said. “Even though Busuttil wasn’t leader of the PN at the time of the incident, he decided to shoulder the responsibility and take action against Cassar.”

‘Muscat has enough information to fire Michael Falzon’

Comodini Cachia was quick to draw comparisons with Busuttil’s swift reaction in stripping Cassar off his spokesperson role to Muscat’s inaction so far against Michael Falzon.

She cited an inquiry by the OPM’s internal audit and investigations department (IAID) that found that lands granted to Gaffarena, as payment for half the expropriated property, were in excess of a legal 30% ceiling which such land valuations cannot exceed.

“Falzon had gone hunting abroad with Gaffarena, Gaffarena had personally told Falzon about his intentions for the government to expropriate the Old Mint Street property expropriated, and a member of Falzon’s secretariat [Clint Scerri] had personally accompanied Gaffarena to the Lands Department.”

Schembri consistently skirted questions by host Saviour Balzan on the deal, repeatedly stating what she had in an earlier press conference – that decisions will only be taken after the completion of a parallel investigation by the National Audit Office.  

“Muscat had said from the very start that he will only take political decisions once both the IAID and NAO reports are published,” she said.