[WATCH] Delia: Muscat lies, refuses to sack Schembri and Mizzi despite police investigation

Opposition leader Adrian Delia has accused Prime Minister Joseph Muscat of lying and refusing to sack his chief of staff and tourism minister for owning offshore companies now connected to a Dubai company that is reportedly owned by Electrogas shareholder Yorgen Fenech.

“Muscat is using a different measure for Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi,” Delia said when asked whether Muscat should be made to resign. 

“Muscat said he would resign if the Panamanian company Egrant was found to be his. We know now that his chief of staff and minister have a similar offshore company in Panama... so when Muscat uses a different yardstick for his men. It is clear that nobody has shouldered political responsibility: the ball is now in his court.” 

Joseph Muscat is under pressure after claiming that a police investigation that has been ongoing for the past months on the Dubai company 17 Black was not an investigation into his chief of staff and minister, but on the company itself.

READ Six reasons why Joseph Muscat keeps Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi

Delia has insisted that there are no clear answers from the government, and has disputed Muscat’s claim that such an investigation cannot include the people who said the Dubai company was a target client that would be paying their Panama companies $150,000 a week. 

“They are saying an investigation has been opened on a company... obviously the law states that once the ownership is established, they are then investigated and carry criminal responsibility,” Delia said. 

Muscat is appealing a decision by a magistrate to have a complaint by former PN leader Simon Busuttil to carry out inquiries into the Panama Papers be investigated. The matter has yet to be decided, which would result in a magisterial inquiry. 

“Muscat is trying to stop the inquiry with an appeal... he is not saying the truth. He says he cannot know what a police investigation is about, lecturing us on rule of law, yet he claims to know a police investigation is not on Keith Schembri. 

“Muscat said Schembri would be made to resign if there was a criminal investigation against him... Muscat has sworn loyalty to the Constitution, but he is only looking after Schembri’s interest. He is not saying the truth and nobody believes him.”