Gozo whistleblower topic not brought up in Busuttil interview

Opposition leader warns that the construction of a private university at Zonqor Point will be a 'step in the wrong direction'. 

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil was not questioned on court allegations against him by a Gozitan whistleblower, in his first interview since yesterday’s testimony

Busuttil has filed a judicial protest against Cauchi, accusing him of committing perjury to render himself more likely to get paid for illegal works which he admits to have performed.

According to Cauchi's testimony on Tuesday, he had met Busuttil in 2013 to report to him that Anthony Debono - husband of former Gozo minister Giovanna Debono - had not paid him for works he carried out at his requests. Busuttil allegedly asked him why he did not stop the works when it appeared that the Nationalists were not going to be re-elected.

Busuttil has dismissed such claims as “sheer nonsense”.

However, Busuttil wasn't questioned on this topic on tonight’s TV programme of Iswed fuq l-Abjad, despite it being the PN leader’s first public appearance since Cauchi’s testimony.

Instead, host Frank Psaila chose to question Busuttil on a controversial proposal to construct a private university on virgin land at Zonqor Point, Marsaskala that lies outside development zones.

“Of course, the PN wants the entire country to progress, but the Zonqor project is a step in the wrong direction as it will come at the cost of losing a green lung,” Busuttil said. “If the government wants to proceed with this project, then it will have to steamroll over the Opposition first.

He rubbished Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s recent distinctions between the north and the south of Malta.

“It only takes half an hour to cross the entire country, and creating such divisions doesn’t make sense,” Busuttil said.

He said that the proposed ‘American University of Malta’ is neither American nor a university, questioning the background of its would-be Jordanian investors Sadeen Group.

“Their experience is limited to construction and hotels,” Busuttil said. “Why did the government directly choose them to operate this new university?”

“As time goes by, more and more people are starting to realize the dishonesty behind the government’s mask. Whenever the government does something wrong, it childishly points fingers at previous administrations.

“I’m not here to defend the past, but past mistakes won’t justify this government’s decision to construct on undeveloped virgin land.”