Azzopardi's request for inquiry rejected, insists magisterial inquiry law should stay unchanged

A magistrate has turned down Jason Azzopardi’s request for a magisterial inquiry into several land transfers made under the watch of Lands Authority CEO Robert Vella.

In a Facebook post, Azzopardi said his request was denied because, as a citizen, he lacked the evidence needed to prove criminal activity on Vella’s part.

Azzopardi had filed an urgent court application on 30 December accusing Vella of money laundering, bribery, corruption, trading in influence and criminal association. In his request, he referred to various media reports of land transfers made under Vella’s watch that saw prime public land sold to the private sector for a pittance.

This was one of five inquiry requests made by Azzopardi in December alone, and according to him, this shows that there are appropriate checks and balances in place to prevent abusive requests from being made.

“This decision confirms, if ever there was a need, how hard and difficult the level of proof required by a citizen who is not an investigator is to satisfy the requirements of the law,” he said.

Prime Minister Robert Abela has been insisting that the law allowing citizens to request magisterial inquiries should be amended because of undue attacks against ministers and civil servants.

He has singled out Azzopardi several times due to the amount of magisterial inquiries requested by him over a short span of time. Over the Christmas holidays, Azzopardi requested at least three inquiries implicating Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri and his wife, and the CEO of the Lands Authority.