Muscat protests outside court ‘a black day’, Grech says in call to vote PN

Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech exhorted Net TV followers to use their vote in a bid to curtail Labour’s expected majority in the 2024 European elections, after calling out the scenes of protest outside the law courts by Labour voters in support of Joseph Muscat.

“It is a black day indeed… we must be certainly being perceived as a kind of jungle to witness the scenes outside these law courts,” Grech said.

Grech however said that he laid no fault at the feet of Labour supporters who turned up in droves outside the law courts to support disgraced premier Joseph Muscat, who along former ministers, aides and other financial practitioners, was charged with money laundering.

Muscat and other eight persons, and companies, have all filed not-guilty pleas.

“It is not these people’s fault. These people have been instigated, and the responsibility lies with whoever goaded them into going outside the law courts. This is clear evidence that the end justifies the means: those who want to protect Joseph Muscat at all costs by intimidating the justice process, encouraged this mob to go outside the law courts,” Grech said.

Grech said Maltese prime minister Robert Abela had ensured continuity from the Muscat administration, by employing all the necessary measures to protect his predecessor. “The machine is the same. Changing the leader and their suit is simply not enough. It is the leader that must change. People must effect this change: they must do this with their vote, and turn this black day into one that shines light on Malta.”

Grech accused Abela of having himself sowed the danger of public chaos by accusing the PN of trying to provoke the mob when it was Muscat loyalist and Labour propagandist Manuel Cuschieri who convened the protest.

“If Abela secures another large electoral majority, he will be doing worse than what is happening today: the scenes we saw today outside the law courts will become worse, and take place elsewhere. I am ready to be on this frontline to take this country forward, but people must vote for the change.”

Nationalist MEP incumbent and president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, said the scenes outside the law courts “were not what Malta should be about.”

Metsola said the show of support outside the law courts for Muscat was “a reminder of just how hard we all need to work to push our country forward. Of how badly the Prime Minister has lost control.”

She accused Prime Minister Robert Abela of having done nothing to stop Labour supporters from converging outside the courts while Muscat was being charged in court.

“We need real leadership. We need this constant Government-fuelled tribalism to stop. Our politics needs to go beyond the Prime Minister’s hyper-partisanship. We need justice to work without political pressure. Today is a reminder of just how important the election on 8 June is. If you’re still wondering about the value of your vote, look at Valletta today.”