[WATCH] Rosianne Cutajar takes aim at Repubblika over 'double standards' in MP gifting debacle

Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar lashed out at Repubblika over 'double standards' after the NGO called on the Police Commissioner to investigate Cutajar over an ethics breach.

The breach in question is that Cutajar uploaded a number of images showing herself giving small bags of oranges to elderly residents in the Smartcare Dar Pinto home in her home town Qormi.

"When someone doesn't agree with me or criticises me, even when it's not constructive, I try to understand and work on it. But come on, for us to make a request to the Police Commissioner because of four oranges is disproportionate and completely exaggerated," she said during her adjournment speech in parliament.

READ ALSO | MPs gifting goodies: Repubblika, Cassola demand police action and ethics probe

Cutajar was particularly critical of Robert Aquilina, the President of Repubblika. Apart from noting that he is the brother of Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina, Cutajar claimed that he never confronted her when passing by each other around Valletta.

"I've come across him many times in Republic Street - he'd either keep his head down, or cross the street. He never spoke to me about oranges. In fact, he never spoke to me about anything."

Cutajar went on to say that Jason Azzopardi, also a Nationalist MP, presented a generous food donation to an NGO in his electoral district hours after Repubblika called for an investigation into Cutajar's gifts.

"If my action breaks the electoral laws, then Jason Azzopardi's gesture breaks the law too. But no, Jason Azzopardi can carry out these gestures in his district. Everyone on that side of the room can do this," she said, with reference to the Nationalist Party.

Earlier this year, Cutajar resigned from her post as Parliamentary Secretary pending the outcome of an investigation before the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life. 

The investigation concerns reports that Cutajar and her political aide Charlie Farrugia 'it-Tikka' allegedly received some €100,000 in brokers' fees for the sale of a €3.1 million Mdina property to Yorgen Fenech, who is now facing criminal charges for masterminding the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Her resignation came the day after Repubblika held a protest outside the Justice Ministry to call for Rosianne Cutajar's resignation over her close relationship with Fenech.

Repubblika President fights back

In retaliation to Cutajar's comments, Robert Aquilina took to Facebook to deny her claims that he never confronted her over her actions.

"Those who know me know that I will not shy away from confronting those who disagree with me. When I had to face the President of the Republic six days after Daphne's assassination, I did not hold back - let alone would I hold back from confronting Rosianne Cutajar."

He added that during the Repubblika protest this year, he went to confront Cutajar at her ministry with television cameras following him. "At that time she was present a few meters away from me, but she did not have the courage to come out from behind the door and confront me and the media."

Aquilina also revealed that when he visited the ministry, the employees present assumed that he had an envelope filled with cash for Cutajar.

"More so that they called 'it-Tikka' to collect the money. This is what they're used to dealing with!" he wrote.