Delia calls out PM for refusing to launch public inquiry into Miriam Pace death

Nationalist MP Adrian Delia has called out the Prime Minister Robert Abela for refusing to launch a public inquiry into the death of Miriam Pace.

On Monday Abela argued that appointing a public inquiry would interfere with the criminal proceedings underway.

“When institutions are functioning, you can’t just take their work away from them and place it in a public inquiry,” he told the media after exiting a Cabinet meeting held in Fgura.

Earlier today, Miriam Pace's family publicly called on the government to open a public inquiry into her death, which took place in March of last year.

The family said that the magisterial inquiry report, published last Sunday, found that the institutions “blatantly failed” to safeguard the lives of third parties.

Speaking during a parliamentary sitting, Delia said the PM’s reasoning in saying that a public inquiry would disrupt proceedings does not make sense.

“Abela knows the difference between the two. While the current proceedings concentrate on the case itself, a public inquiry would help to identify what government or its entities could have done or failed to do,” Delia said.

He said it is not right for the PM to act as “judge and jury” on the case.

“He doesn’t want the truth to emerge. He doesn’t want to uncover how government failed to act,” he said.

The PN MP said it is “appalling” to have the family of the victim having to call for a public inquiry.

“Let us not insult people and the memories of those they lost,” he said.

Delia also said that the culture of impunity stems from the environment in which those who act illegally operate in.

“It is because government gives the sense that nobody will be held accountable, that such people act the way they act,” he said.

Replying to statements by the PM that the issue should not be politicized, Delia said government and the opposition must together show the maturity needed to get to the bottom of the situation.

“As an opposition we have been mature enough to understand that, now government must do the same,” he said.

MP Claudio Grech also called for an inquiry into the case, describing the construction sector as a “Russian Roulette”.

“We let this Russian Roulette play on, with Miriam Pace falling victim to the lack of regulation in the industry,” Grech said.

Describing the industry as a crucial pillar for the country’s economy, he said the large amount of construction work has led to minimal regulation which resulted in a lot of damage.

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