Update 2 | Government says affidavit belies Azzopardi as PN calls for Silvio Scerri's resignation

Last updated at 8:30pm with PN statement over government's reaction

The Opposition's spokesman for home affairs Jason Azzopardi has called for the resignation of the Home Affairs Ministry's chief of staff Silvio Scerri after a woman made a sworn declaration in court insisting she hadn't been the one to contact the ministry.

The case revolves around Darryl Luke Borg, who was mistakenly accused of a hold-up he didn't commit. As the Police Board is carrying out an inquiry, Azzopardi last week insisted that a convicted criminal was used as a go-between by Scerri to contact Borg.

Scerri had immediately denied knowing who Charles Attard iz-Zambi was and also denied requesting to meet Borg and his mother.

In an affidavit filed this morning, Borg's mother Giovanna Borg said that on Tuesday 13 August, iz-Zambi - known to her son - told Darryl to go with him "to speak to someone".

"I assumed it was about my son's case and I insisted on going with him," Borg said in her sworn statement.

She goes on to recount that they picked up Charles Attard at 2pm from Birkirkara's square and drove on towards the Home Affairs Ministry. Attard signed at the reception and were escorted upstairs towards Scerri's office.

"Attard was about to leave the office before the meeting started but my son insisted he should remain because he had been the one to take us there," Borg said.

Borg claimed that while she was recounting what her happened to her son, Scerri "interrupted her" to ask whether Police Inspector Elton Talian had contacted them.

"I was the one to call him to thank him for proving that my son was innocent. But Scerri continued insisting whether we knew Taliana at which point I said that I knew him as an inspector in our district," she says in her statement.

"I thanked him for his help and he said we shouldn't be thanking him because he was simply doing his job. He said that while he was analysing CCTV footage, he received a call saying to stop his search as the culprit had been found... While speaking to Scerri I felt as if I were being interrogated over Taliana."

She goes on to say that Scerri told her she had the opportunity to speak to the Police Board, something that she did the following day without taking oath. Borg also said that Attard iz-Zambi contacted her in the evening to confirm whether she would be going.

According to Jason Azzopardi, this sworn statement "belied" Scerri's version of events, even though at no point did the woman say that iz-Zambi told her son that Scerri wanted to meet him.

Azzopardi added that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, home affairs minister Manuel Mallia and police commissioner Peter Paul Zammit should also shoulder their responsibility.

"Those who covered, protected and defended Silvio Scerri must shoulder responsibility," Azzopardi said.

Insisting that Muscat endorsed Scerri's version of events, the Nationalist MP said that the Prime Minister had pledged accountability before taking office and asked "who will shoulder responsibility for this incident?"

Azzopardi said that a "political conspiracy is being carried out to manipulate the truth," adding that he was not taking sides or defending anyone, but fulfilling his obligations as an Opposition MP to ensure accountability.

"This government has lost the high moral ground and red lines have been crossed," Azzopardi said, stressing that Scerri's position was no longer tenable following a series of controversial events, culminating in his involvement in the Darryl Luke Borg case.

"Some believe they are above the law but they're wrong," the MP added, insisting that he had nothing to add to his previous declerations and the victim's mother affidavit.

Azzopardi explained that the affidavit was passed on to him by somebody "who's absolutely not involved in the case."

Government reacts

In a reaction, the government reiterated that Azzopardi was trying to hinder the independent inquiry's investigation while urging him to appear before the Police Board to pass on any information he may have.

Moreover, the Ministry for Home Affairs said, the sworn statement confirmed that "no one from the ministry contacted Darryl Luke Borg, so much so that the affidavit states a third person approached the young man to speak to someone".

"This fact alone belies Jason Azzopardi who last week portrayed a different picture," the ministry said.

The home affairs ministry reiterated that no one from the ministry contacted the involved persons. "However, the ministry still had the duty to listen to the victim and guide him towards the Police Board. In fact, the mother stated that Scerri told her she had 'a golden opportunity' to recount her versions to the board."

The government insisted that while the Opposition was trying to undermine the independent inquiry, the home affairs ministry fully trusted the investigation being carried out by judge emeritus Franco Depasquale who has been chairing the board for the past 10 years.

Urging Azzopardi to pass on any information he might have to the Police Board, the ministry said suspicions arose over whom Azzopardi was trying to defend.

PN reacts

The Nationalist Party stood by its position that Scerri used iz-Zambi as a go-between with Borg.

"It is clear that the ministry and Silvio Scerri are playing dumb despite the sworn statement given by Borg's mother," the PN said. "The affidavit belies what Silvio Scerri said and confirms that he used a known criminal to contact Borg."

The PN said the home affairs ministry wanted to keep repeating "their make-believe story so this is repeated on the state TV".

"Silvio Scerri should resign and Minister Manuel Mallia and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat should shoulder their responsibilities for choosing to believe Scerri over the victim's mother."