ABBA demands that police drop charges against River of Love's Matthew Grech

Conservative political party ABBA has demanded that the charges against Matthew Grech for promoting conversion therapy be dropped during a press conference on Friday. 

Matthew Grech, an adherent of the evangelical group River of Love, has been charged with violating Malta's homosexual conversion ban due to statements he made during a live-streamed conversation. 

In a press conference defending Grech, ABBA leader Ivan Grech Mintoff demanded that Prime Minister Robert Abela remove MEP Cyrus Engerer, Labour MP Randolph DeBattista, and Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg from their positions as "they are acting against the interests of Maltese people".

Grech Mintoff threatened legal action "against all those who are working against the Maltese," if the Prime Minister does not act upon this requests.

According to Grech Mintoff, Matthew Grech is neither homophobic nor anti-transsexual. "He just spoke about his personal experience," he said, adding that the River of Love movement never used conversion therapy. 

Grech Mintoff claims that the state is threatening and denying hundreds of LGBT persons a chance to "live a normal life as a straight person."

Matthew Grech, who says he is a former homosexual “converted” through his Christian faith to renounce his sexual orientation, is being charged along with the producers of PM News.

‘Public Media News’ is run by Mario Camilleri and Rita Bonnici and has in the past featured commentary against Malta’s COVID rules while featuring extensively vaccine-sceptics like Rudolf Ragonesi.

Meanwhile, before the hearing, Pastor Gordon Manche gathered supporters in front of the Law Courts and recited several Bible verses.