Bernard Grech criticises PL for 'stealing votes' across various schemes

Opposition leader Bernard Grech accused the government of “stealing votes” through various manipulations, such as pardoning those who received money through a recent benefits racket.

During his Sunday speech, Grech set his sights on Robert Abela and his Labour government, criticising them for creating a situation that targeted vulnerable people and has now become an exercise to “steal votes”

In September, Times of Malta revealed a several-year racket that saw monthly disability benefits go to hundreds of individuals who were not legitimately entitled to them.

On Thursday, the government announced that it would be pardoning, under conditions, those who received fraudulent disability benefits they were not entitled to.

Aside from having to pay back the money they received in full or through a payment plan, they will also need to testify in court against individuals they know were involved in running the benefits racket.

On Friday, Prime Minister Robert Abela defended the pardon, saying that paying back the money they were given is consequence enough.

“Many of these people are so vulnerable, they were not even aware they were doing something wrong,” he told journalists, clarifying that they have been put through a “trauma”.

“Prime Minister, it was you who put them through that trauma. This was a vote-stealing scheme that you designed in Castille,” Grech said on Sunday.

“You gave them the money… while you stole from the mouths who truly needed the benefits,” Grech said.

“You tried to steal their vote before the last election, and now you are trying to steal their vote again.”

Meanwhile, those experiencing true trauma are the victims of construction accidents, Grech said, and so are the parents of those with disabled children who are not receiving any benefits.

More recently, the government tried another vote-stealing scheme, Grech said.

An uninhabited social housing site in Siġġiewi was found to have 99 registered voters after their ID cards were transferred to the new address in the past three weeks.

Grech claimed that after seeing a strong PN line-up in the locality, the government put plans in motion to change voters’ addresses to the “unfinished” apartment block.

“Look at how ready they are to do everything… we were watching, we caught them, and we took them to court,” he said.

“These 100 people can still vote, but they should vote where they are living.”

Grech closed his speech by reminding followers that May 1 will see the party's MEP campaign officially launch in Mosta.