[WATCH] Prime Minister vows to publish magisterial inquiry into Jean Paul Sofia’s death

Key takeaways from the interview

• The PM vows to publish the magisterial inquiry into Jean Paul Sofia’s death once it’s concluded.
• Abela continues to shoot down calls for a public inquiry, insisting that only a magisterial inquiry can bring justice.
• Investigations into the concession of public land to the developers of the site where Sofia died should take place after the magisterial inquiry.
• Abela says he has no business links whatsoever with the developers of the site.
• The PM admitted that it was insensitive to attend an orchestra concert at Girgenti Palace hours after voting down a public inquiry into Jean Paul Sofia’s death.

Prime Minister Robert Abela has promised to request a copy of the magisterial inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia and publish it once it’s concluded.

MaltaToday executive editor Kurt Sansone interviewed Abela on the parliamentary vote taken Wednesday evening calling for a public inquiry into the death of construction site victim Jean Paul Sofia.

In the interview, Abela continued to shoot down calls for a public inquiry into Jean Paul Sofia’s death, insisting that only a magisterial inquiry can bring justice.

“There is one investigation that will lead to full justice, and that is the magisterial inquiry. The inquiry has all tools to find who’s responsible for what happened.”

Abela also said it shouldn’t be up to parliament to decide whether a public inquiry should be held over a particular case.

He said he holds reservations on the delays in concluding the magisterial inquiry, but added that he has no doubts on the impartiality of the inquiring magistrate.

Abela added that if the magisterial inquiry does not go into whether the developers of the site where Jean Paul Sofia died where handed a concession for the land in bad faith, then this would be investigated.

However, he still insisted that this should be investigated by INDIS or other government entities, and not in a public inquiry.

Abela also said that he never had any business relations with the developers of the site. “Even if I did, it wouldn’t change anything”.

He said that previous clients of his are in prison now, referencing to Robert and Adrian Agius, who are charged with supplying the bomb that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia. Abela personally appeared for the brothers in legal disputes between 2012 and 2016.

When asked about his attendance of an orchestra concert at Girgenti Palace hours after voting down the public inquiry, Abela admitted that he could have not gone to the event out of respect to the parents of Jean Paul Sofia.

“I went because it was organized beforehand. Yes, I could have not gone.”

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