Ana Gomes raises ire of Labour MEP after casting doubt on Maltese judiciary

Ana Gomes remains relentless in her rule of law crusade against Malta, casting doubt on the Maltese judiciary in comments to The Malta Independent.

The Socialist MEP, who last year led a rule of law mission sanctioned by the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties and Justice committee, did not have kind words when asked for her thoughts on the Egrant inquiry findings.

"I know the limitations of the judiciary in the Malta case”, she is reported to have told the newpaper.

Gomes insisted that whatever the judiciary does, it is ultimately up to the police force and the Attorney General to press charges.

She noted that there are reports from the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit that were not followed up by the police.

But pressed for her reaction to the Egrant inquiry, Gomes said that she was “not surprised” with the outcome, but at the same time she would not have been surprised if the conclusion was the opposite.

She also reiterated that none of the reports she co-signed as part of her work in the European Parliament contained a position on Egrant as MEPs were waiting for the conclusion of the investigation.

Gomes also added that Bugeja’s inquiry did not “identify clearly who or what Egrant was serving for”.

⁦@AnaGomesMEP⁩, very rich coming from you! You’ve been whispering to anyone who cared listening to you that MT PM is a crook. Now trying to tarnish d reputation of our judicial system w/ biased argumentation simply coz it doesn’t fit your narrative https://t.co/TqrjQEmdc6

— Miriam Dalli MEP (@Miriamdalli) July 25, 2018

But Gomes’s reaction elicited a terse response from Labour MEP Miriam Dalli, who tweeted that it was “very rich” for Gomes to make such statements.

“You’ve been whispering to anyone who cared listening to you that MT PM is a crook. Now trying to tarnish d reputation of our judicial system w/biased argumentation simply coz it doesn’t fit your narrative,” Dalli hit back.

Evidently there is no love lost between Gomes and her fellow Labour MEPs from Malta.

Lawyer Claire Bonello has taken umbrage at Ana Gomes's reaction to Egrant inquiry

Lawyer Claire Bonello also took umbrage at Gomes’s brushstroke approach towards the Maltese judiciary.

“Without reading the full text of the inquiry report, without seeing which investigative techniques have been subscribed to, this MEP is making serious insinuations about the whole Maltese judicial system. What would she like to replace it, with? A one-woman inquisition? A vox pop? A reality TV show?”

Owen Bonnici tells MEP Ana Gomes to condemn those who plotted "the worst political frame-up in Malta's history" 

Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said that there were many lessons to learn following the outcome of the Enquiry inquiry.

2/2 condemn those who conspired and plotted to commit the worst political frame-up in #Malta's history.

— Owen Bonnici (@OwenBonnici) July 25, 2018

In a Twitter post, Bonnici said that a “cruel fabrication was put into place against the PM”, and that instead of casting doubts on the institutions of the country,  MEP Ana Gomes should condemn those who “plotted to commit the worst political frame-up in Malta’s history.”