PN leader calls for Carmelo Abela’s resignation, as minister denies interference accusations

Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia has called for the resignation of Foreign Affairs minister Carmelo Abela over his alleged interference into an investigation being carried out by former investigator Jonathan Ferris when he was still Home Affairs minister.

In a statement issued this evening, Abela referred to comments by Ferris to Lovin Malta, in which he claimed that the then police minister had exerted undue pressure on him. Able “strongly” denies the allegation.

“According to Mr Ferris, the pressure was because the Minister’s secretary sent an email to the then Inspector, and copying the Minister (then responsible of Home Affairs), asking what progress had been achieved in a fraud case he was investigating,” read the statement.

It added that the request was filed, in writing, after a complaint had been made by a the defrauded party, to the Minister in which they “complained” that the Police were not “giving any information about the case”.

“As remarked by the journalist reporting the case, the request for such information clearly falls within the Minister’s remit, especially when faced with a complaint, and can in no way be misconstrued as undue pressure or interference, as Mr Ferris incorrectly concluded,” added the statement.

“The result of this ‘revelation’ goes a long way to define the credibility of Mr Ferris and his recent statements.”

Reacting to the minister statement, Delia said there was now “black on white evidence” that Abela had interfered with the police’s work and that he should resign immediately.  

“Information has arrived to me, that in the month of May, emails from the ministry of home affairs and security has started to ask Ferris about a particular case,” Delia said, stressing that he was relaying “facts, not allegations”.

Furthermore, the Opposition leader added that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat needed to shoulder political responsibility for the revelation.