Updated | War of words over how much Busuttil knew of ‘works-for-votes’

Busuttil insists Gozoworks whistleblower confirms his version of events that works-for-votes was never discussed • Justice minister Owen Bonnici says there is no doubt that Opposition leader was aware of Joe Cauchi's allegations

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil. Photo: Ray Attard
Opposition leader Simon Busuttil. Photo: Ray Attard

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil has insisted that a whistleblower’s testimony confirms his version of events about never discussing the allegations of ‘works for votes’ being ordered by the former Gozo minister’s husband.

In a statement issued by Busuttil while the court session was still in progress, Busuttil said Joseph Cauchi’s testimony in court had confirmed his version of events about meeting the contractor in June 2013.

Busuttil said that Cauchi had asked to meet him soon after he became PN leader in May 2013, and that in June he complained to Busuttil that he was owed money from the Gozo Ministry, and was concerned that with the change of government this would not be paid.

“I replied that there was no reason why financial commitments should not be kept simply because of a change in government,” Busuttil said.

“During the meeting there was no mention whatsoever of any ‘works for votes’ allegations. Had this been the case, I would have obviously replied that, if this was so, then no public money could be due for works performed in private property because this would amount to misuse of public funds.”

Busuttil made this statement back on 31 March.

“The truth is that if there was anyone who knew about these allegations and kept them hidden it was Joseph Muscat and Anton Refalo. Joseph Muscat certainly knew because it is clear that the Labour Party disclosed these allegations to the media on the eve of the local council campaign in what is now a pattern that we all have become used to.

“Anton Refalo knew since, at least, last summer. Neither Muscat nor Refalo explained why they kept this information to themselves and used it when it suited them rather than report it to the police immediately,” Busuttil said.

Busuttil has repeatedly denied discussing the work-for-votes scandal when he met the Gozitan contractor turned whistleblower back in 2013. He claims that the first time he heard of the allegations was from the media.

Joe Cauchi ‘is-Sansun’ claims he was left unpaid for works he carried out at the behest of Gozo minister Giovanna Debono’s husband Anthony Debono, who as head of ministry’s Construction and Maintenance Unit would commission works.

Cauchi has claimed that works he carried out on Debono’s instruction, were not paid by the ministry because they were not public works.

Anthony Debono is accused of being the mastermind of the scheme through which private work was done using public funds. He has denied the charges, which are based on the allegations made by Cauchi.

Busuttil had belatedly confirmed meeting Cauchi in 2013 but denied ever discussing the allegations or having any knowledge of them.

The Opposition has been under fire for not doing anything about the allegations when they became privy to them. This included an email the contractor sent Nationalist Party secretary general Chris Said last year in which the words “work for votes” were clearly spelt out.

Labour press conference

The Labour Party has called on Opposition leader Simon Busuttil to “tell the whole truth” about his contact with a Gozitan whistleblower at the heart of the alleged works-for-votes scandal.

“The whistleblower presented 70 false invoices in court today, representing 70 of Busuttil’s lies,” Justice minister Owen Bonnici told a press conference at the PL headquarters.

“Busuttil had described the entire case as mud-slinging, bringing his honesty, sense of justice and credibility into question.” 

Referring to an email Joseph Cauchi sent Busuttil, released by the Opposition leader, Bonnici said Cauchi had requested a meeting Busuttil about “a problem in the past that might be of concern to you in the future”.

“I don’t think that someone who was simply referring to payments due by the government would have told Busuttil that the problem could be of concern to him in the future,” Bonnici argued.

Labour MP Deborah Schembri questioned why Busuttil did not tell Cauchi to report the case to the police. “It is now clear why Busuttil did not want the Whistleblower Act to pass in Parliament.”

She said that both Busuttil and outgoing PN secretary-general Chris Said first said they heard about the case when MaltaToday broke the story back in March. She said an email sent by Cauchi to Said clearly indicates what the contractor had described as ‘work for votes’. In the email, Cauchi also told Said that he had met Busuttil in a lift and told him about what was going on. 

“Busuttil and his friends have to stop releasing information in snippets and tell us the whole truth,” Schembri said.