[WATCH] PM opens door for Rosianne Cutajar’s return to Labour

Prime Minister Robert Abela is mulling a return to the Labour Party for MP Rosianne Cutajar, he told the press outside Castille on Wednesday.

“She paid a hefty price after what was revealed on the ITS consultancy. She was removed from the party’s executive and from government’s parliamentary group. I feel she has paid the biggest price,” Abela told journalists, saying her ousting was the closest to “capital punishment” a politician could receive.

Abela mentioned MP Rosianne Cutajar after he was asked whether former MFSA chief Joseph Cuschieri’s appointment as Project Green CEO was right, given he resigned from the financial services watchdog over ethical breaches.

He said Cuschieri has all the right credentials to take on the role, and his “punishment” was in line with the internal MFSA review board’s report.

“We are not a government which ostracises people for ever. While I insist on discipline, I need to be balanced in my decisions. Mr. Cuschieri never knew Yorgen Fenech commissioned the murder, and the proof in that case show this. If he knew about everything, he would not have been considered for the role,” Abela said.

Moving on to Cutajar, he said that he is aware that he had ruled out a return for her, but said she has exhibited “good behaviour” following her removal from the Labour Party.

“I know what I said at the time, but now that she has exhibited good behaviour, and paid for actions. I do not exclude her return,” Abela said.

The PM said it would be “cruel” for him to not reconsider a return for the now independent MP.

“There are a number of options we can explore as I feel her actions, and the circumstances she made them in, it would be too cruel to not reconsider her,” Abela said.

He also said there are a lot of Opposition MPs who have “done much worse” than Cutajar, and are still on the PN’s front line.