PN MP questions credibility of justice minister after magistrate, ex-judge contradict him on Sofia inquiry

Nationalist MP Mark Anthony Sammut has called into question the credibility of Justice Minister Jonathan Attard after a magistrate and ex-judge contradicted him and the prime minister on the public inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Sammut recalled a parliamentary debate from last July, wherein the Prime Minister and Justice Minister both argued that a public inquiry would interfere in the magisterial inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia.

“The Prime Minister told us, as did other government spokespersons, that a public inquiry would interferere, distract a magisterial inquiry,” Sammut said.

“But what does the inquiry say?” Quoting the public inquiry report, Sammut said “it is therefore completely wrong to believe that the collection of evidence in a Public Inquiry of this kind, which runs in parallel with criminal proceedings concerning the same merit, can prejudice those same proceedings.”

Sammut went on to quote the magisterial inquiry, which explicitly said that institutional shortcomings are secondary to the aims of the magisterial inquiry, which forms part of a criminal investigation.

“What credibility do you have, as Justice Minister, when a former judge and magistrate, in two separate inquiries, contradicted you on what an inquiry is supposed to do. If you don’t even know what happens in an inquiry, and what powers it has – unless you do know but chose to lie to the public, and parliament, to cover up for whoever you wanted to cover up.”

Sammut added that this was the second public inquiry in recent years to flag a culture of impunity in the workings of government.

On this, Sammut asked why the Prime Minister is suddenly considering, and in some cases has actively welcomed back people who have been found guilty of wrongdoing to some degree.

He mentioned Rosianne Cutajar and Justyne Caruana, who were both found guilty of ethics breaches while in cabinet, but are suddenly being welcomed back into the Labour Party by Robert Abela.

He went on to mention Joseph Cuschieri, who also breached ethics after flying to Las Vegas with business magnate-turned-alleged murder mastermind Yorgen Fenech while regulator at the MFSA. Cuschieri has since been appointed CEO of Project Green.

“Despite all this, and in front of an inquiry that again pointed to a culture of impunity (...) it is you who is bringing these people back or trying to welcome them back into politics.”

“The only reaction you should have in front of all this, is the one expressed by the Hon. Randolph De Battista (...). Shame. You should be feeling ashamed.”