Jason Azzopardi claims political interference in police commissioner’s work

Updated on Tuesday 13 July with Diane Izzo’s right of reply

The Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi has called on Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà to stand up to those individuals “from Castille” interfering in his work.

Speaking in parliament, Azzopardi asked why “prominent individuals close to the Labour Party” have yet to be charged over money laundering.

“Why are Chris Cardona, Konrad Mizzi, Edward Scicluna, Carmelo Abela, Heathcliff Farrugia, Joseph Muscat and Diane Izzo, among others, yet to be charged?” Azzopardi told the House.

The PN MP said there was a lot of faith in Gafà when he was made commissioner, and that he had done well in changing the police corps image.

“Now that the police commissioner is no longer under probation, we expect results from him,” Azzopardi said. “Stand up to those people in Castille.”

He also questioned businesswoman Diane Izzo’s presence during a visit by former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to the Montenegro windfarms in 2019.

Earlier this year, the investment was linked to Macbrigde owner Cheng Chen, who it was revealed had helped negotiate the Shanghai Electric investment in Enemalta. Macbridge is a company Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri planned to do business with.

Macbridge, planned to pay up to $2 million to Panama firms controlled by Mizzi and Schembri. It was listed as a target client alongside 17 Black, which was revealed to be owned by Yorgen Fenech.

“Why was she with him? She did not appear in the photos, but she was there,” Azzopardi said.

The PN MP also questioned the lack of charges related to the Pilatus Bank inquiry.

“The inquiry has been concluded for months now. It was a money laundering machine, but why has no one been charged?” he said.

Diane Izzo right of reply

In her right of reply, Izzo said she was in Montenegro for an official function as the spouse of the Maltese ambassador to the country.

“It is disgraceful how Dr. Azzopardi is continuously engaged in a personal smear campaign against myself, which is totally baseless,” she said.