[WATCH] Adrian Delia claims Egrant inquiry only called to make a political statement

The only reason Prime Minister Joseph Muscat called for an inquiry into the Egrant allegations was because he wanted to make a political statement, Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia said on Tuesday.

“It was a case about him which he requested himself for political purposes. This wasn’t some personal case or about some issue that isn’t related to anything that interests the public. This was a case he filed to make a political statement,” Delia said.

Addressing a political activity in Msida, Delia referred to this morning’s court decision which rejected his request to be given a full copy of the Egrant inquiry report, describing it as only the first part of the first chapter of the PN’s battle to obtain information that the Labour Party currently has.

He accused the government of taking control of the Attorney General, and of forcing him to do everything in his power to keep the report hidden from the public in order for the government to maintain the advantage it had.

The country, Delia insisted, had a right to know what the government was set on keeping hidden.

The Opposition leader noted that the courts had cleared recognised that the Opposition party had an obligation to act as a watchdog over the government.

The sentence, he said, also said that the information in the report was of public interest.

Delia said that one the day of the report’s publication, when the Prime Minister said he intended to publish the full report, he was already aware of what he Attorney would say.

“He said he wanted to published the report but he didn’t, because a few hours later he said so, the Attorney General said it wasn’t a good idea,” Delia continued, accusing the Prime Minister of trying to “impress the nation” by being forthcoming with information.

He said that the fact that the courts had now said that contents of the report were in the public interest meant that there was nothing stopping Muscat from publishing the whole report.

I wish Simon Busuttil well because I am serene – Muscat

Addressing his own political activity in Hal Luqa, Muscat also dedicated a portion of his speech to this morning’s court ruling.

Responding to comments by former Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil, who said earlier today that on Egrant, Muscat should stop playing the victim card, Muscat said he wished Busuttil well.

Muscat again accused Busuttil of jumping on the bandwagon and making the claims his own, before saying that he wished him well.

“All I have to say the ex leader of the Opposition is that I wish him health and happiness, and I hope that he or his family never have to go through at least half of what I went through,” Muscat said.  

“I find the strength to say something like from the serenity I have within me and from the pride I have in leading this nation. I will ask you to continue renewing this strength on the 25 May.”

Addressing the media this morning following the decision, Delia said he would be filing an appeal, something Muscat pointed out, he had every right to do.

“I am sure that had the case been decided differently and had another party in the case appealed, he would have claimed it was not right. We on the other hand say it is his right and that we have no problem with him doing so,” Muscat said.   

He added that despite the fact the inquiring magistrate had made it clear that nothing in the report could change its conclusions, Muscat said he was still determined to publish the full inquiry report.

Muscat said the Attorney General had advised him not to rush and publish the report because it could derail investigations into who “the coward” who had falsified and trafficked documents.