PN attacks AG’s absence during Yorgen Fenech trial proceedings

The Nationalist Party doubled down on its criticism of Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg on Monday, noting that she remains absent even as her office considers appealing the verdict in the trial of Yorgen Fenech.

PN MPs Joe Giglio and Conrad Borg Manche addressed a press conference discussing Fenech’s acquittal, the “absence of the Attorney General” and what they described as the “silence of the prime minister.”

While stressing that its criticism was not directed at the prospect of an appeal itself, the PN said the Attorney General had remained entirely absent throughout the trial and was now also absent from discussions surrounding a possible appeal.

The party stopped short of taking a position on whether an appeal should be filed.

Asked by MaltaToday what Opposition leader Alex Borg meant when he threatened on Sunday to “increase pressure inside and outside parliament,” Giglio said the matter had yet to be discussed internally by the party.

At the same time, he insisted that the time had come for the Maltese people to stand up and make their voices heard.

The party then turned its criticism towards Prime Minister Robert Abela, who it said has remained largely silent since the verdict apart from calling for “prudence.”

It accused Abela of invoking prudence and responsibility as a means of silencing the Maltese public and the Opposition.

Giglio questioned Abela’s silence in light of evidence and allegations that emerged throughout the trial.

Pointing to Keith Schembri’s alleged involvement, Security Minister Glenn Bedingfield’s alleged “campaign” against Caruana Galizia, and claims that former prime minister Joseph Muscat was aware of the atmosphere surrounding the “barbaric” murder, the PN questioned how Abela could continue to remain silent.

Giglio also referred to comments made by Schembri on a podcast in which he said he still helps the prime minister. He noted that Muscat had also worked closely with Abela during the election campaign.

“How is Robert Abela comfortable with this?” Giglio asked.

The PN also pointed to comments by Culture Minister Malcolm Paul Agius Galea questioning whether Caruana Galizia was murdered because of her work as a journalist, while PL official Jason Micallef described a banner displayed outside parliament calling for justice as “vandalism.”

“How can the prime minister be comfortable with this?” Borg Manche asked. “Does he agree with these people?”

Borg Manche also pointed to Abela’s criticism of the Caruana Galizia family in 2018, while accusing him of now lying about having met the family following the verdict.

He described the contrasting positions as “completely surreal,” particularly given the international attention surrounding Fenech’s acquittal.

“We are the laughing stock of the EU,” he said. “If we were in any other country, there would be massive protests in the streets.”

Turning to protests being organised by NGOs including Moviment Graffitti and Repubblika, the PN said it had yet to discuss internally whether it would participate.

However, the party said it would continue supporting NGOs in an effort to strengthen their voice, while also pushing for greater access to information — one of the recommendations contained in the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry.

The PN again called for all recommendations of the public inquiry to be implemented, arguing that despite what emerged during what it described as the “trial of the century,” Abela had once again refused to implement them when they were proposed in parliament by Opposition leader Alex Borg.

“We will not be silent,” the PN said. “We want justice, the entire Maltese population wants justice, and we won’t stop until we get it.”