PN has to be at forefront of anti-corruption protest, Adrian Delia says

The fight against corruption is a theme the Nationalist Party supports, which is why it will be at the forefront in tonight’s protest in Valletta, Adrian Delia said.

The PN leader justified the party’s presence at the protest organised by NGOs Repubblika and Occupy Justice, adding that corruption was damaging to the country.

Delia was speaking in a short telephone interview on NET FM on Saturday morning.

“We have to be at the forefront to support anyone with a message we can identify with… we may not agree with everything that is said but if the theme of the protest is something we believe in, then the PN will be there to support civil society,” Delia said.

He urged PN supporters to attend tonight’s Valletta protest to show their disapproval towards corruption being allowed to fester by government.

Delia’s presence at the protest could become a tricky affair for the PN, having been openly criticised and booed in monthly vigils held to commemorate Daphne Caruana Galizia.

This is the first time that Delia will be attending an event organised by Repubblika and other rule of law NGOs.

Tonight’s vigil is doubling up as an anti-corruption protest after the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Keith Schembri dropped libel proceedings earlier this week to avoid answering questions about 17 Black.

On Friday, Repubblika said politicians were welcome to attend the protest but warned them not to hog the event.

Delia insisted that unless the Prime Minister removed his chief of staff, Malta risked being blacklisted as a jurisdiction.

He reiterated that Schembri had every right to safeguard his legal position in ongoing court proceedings but could not do so while occupying a public role of such importance.

“We have to be there to tell the government not to continue damaging Malta. We have to show our disapproval and tell government not to continue hurting Malta,” Delia said.

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