Prime Minister says 17 Black inquiry should be published ‘today before tomorrow’

Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Sunday the 17 Black magisterial inquiry report should be published “today before tomorrow”.

During an interview on ONE TV's Paperscan, Abela said: “If you were to ask me, although I don’t have the whole picture with the facts, I hope it gets published today before tomorrow.”

On Friday news emerged that Magistrate Charmaine Galea presented her findings to the Attorney General a few days prior with a recommendation to charge Keith Schembri, Konrad Mizzi and several other people and companies.

This was Abela’s first reaction following the news. The Nationalist Party has also called for the immediate release of the inquiry.

The inquiry was requested in 2018 by former PN leader Simon Busuttil and PN MEP David Casa after journalists revealed how €1.3 million had been transferred into 17 Black. The funds had originated from Azerbaijan and a company associated with the LNG tanker acting a floating storage unit at Delimara.

The Prime Minister stated that the Nationalist Party is trying to “spin the 17 Black inquiry”, claiming that it is “another lie by the PN that some members of the Labour Party are involved in it.”

Abela said that during the festive days the Opposition was consistent in its negativity, citing what he described as “attacks on ministers and their families” in relation to magisterial inquiries that were requested by former MP Jason Azzopardi.

Abela reflected on the need for reform in magisterial inquiries, advocating for a system that “seeks truth without unfairly implicating innocent individuals”. “This is abuse of magisterial inquiries,” he said with reference to the multiple requests for inquiries made against ministers and public servants.

He contrasted the Labour Party's focus on constructive policies with what he described as the PN's negative approach, reiterating his belief in national unity and the Labour Party's capability to lead Malta forward.

He maintained that the “government will continue to work to strengthen the economy and achieve good results that will translate into wealth with the aim of being distributed among everyone.”

Abela expressed optimism about Malta's economic resilience despite international challenges, pointing out that “experts from the European Commission anticipate Malta will experience one of the highest economic growth rates within the EU.”

“Our country is economically strong,” he added, emphasising that continued economic growth is essential for distributing wealth effectively, including a significant increase in pensions.

Abela referred to the upcoming Labour Migration Policy, which will be subject to public consultation. 

The aim is to incentivise ethical business practices while preventing exploitation of foreign workers. “No one will be allowed to abuse this,” he stated.

The Prime Minister paid tribute to the memory of architect and former PN minister Michael Falzon, who died last night. He stated that they recently met and spoke about the future of the country.