Muscat ‘unaware’ of Attard club matters, hits out at PN ‘malice’

Labour leader Joseph Muscat said that he was not aware of anything irregular inside the Labour club of Attard in 2010, details of which emerged in court by a former barman of the club, Richard Vella, who faces charges of assulat and injuring a committee member during an argument.

Vella told the court that he had released a statement to Police Commissioner John Rizzo two years ago that PL deputy leader Toni Abela had sought a Labour leaning police officer at Birkirkara Police Station urging him not to press charges over the matter.

He then went on to reveal that Toni Abela had admitted this to the PL committee in Attard, and what he said was secretly recorded and passed on to the Commissioner and third parties.

Subsequent to Vella's testimony, extracts from the recordings were posted on YouTube, triggering a pressing campaign by the PN for Abela to resign.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was adamant yet again this morning that Abela should take political responsibility for the recordings in which he is heard speaking about illegal activities which were never reported to the police.

The secret recordings - in which Abela is heard saying he wrested a police report by Vella against a committee member, who allegeldy changed the locks to the Attard club's bar,  to pursue the matter civilly; and then talking about a drugs incident inside another party club - were "the most serious scandals that have betrayed the PL's hypocrisy", Gonzi said today while on a tour of Zabbar shops.

"The difference between the PN and Labour, is that we take steps and inform the police of such illegal activities," Gonzi said.

In Manikata this morning, Labour leader Joseph Muscat accused the PN for having "maliciously" kept the recordings and used them only now to "inflict damage" on the Labour Party on issues which happened years ago.

Muscat described the issue as an attempt by the PN to defame Labour and Abela. "The PN has seemingly known about the case for the past two years and is only maliciously talking about it now," Muscat said, adding that the timing was "malicious."

Asked on how he would have handled such a case, Muscat replied that "everybody acts differently, but I have never found myself in such a situation. But should I have evidence of any wrongdoing, I would refer it immediately to the police to investigate," he said.

Asked on whether Toni Abela's position has now become politically untenable, Muscat replied that "Abela is a victim of a coordinated attack."