Chris Fearne says ‘nobody is above the law’

The deputy prime minister sidesteps question as to whether government could continue to function with Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri in office but insists ‘nobody is greater than the country or the party’

Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne
Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne

Chris Fearne is the second senior minister to insist that “nobody is greater than the country or the party” when asked about Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri.

The Deputy Prime Minister declined to say whether the government could continue to function with Mizzi and Schembri still in office but reiterated that “nobody is above the law”.

“This government has a strong electoral mandate and I believe it will carry that out. This does not mean that we will be discarding political responsibility. We will set our own agenda. We are not afraid of taking decisions. Nobody is greater than the country or the party. Nobody is above the law,” Fearne said in a comment to Times of Malta this morning.

The deputy PM said the focus should be on solving the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia and bringing all those who were in some way involved to justice.

He is the second minister after Evarist Bartolo to argue that nobody is greater than the party.

On Monday, Bartolo was the first senior Labour figure to openly name Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri and suggest that they should resign not to harm the party.

Pressure has been mounting within the Labour Party for the Prime Minister to kick out Mizzi and Schembri if they do not resign.

Mizzi and Schembri had a business link through their secretive Panama companies with Yorgen Fenech, who has been arrested and is being questioned as a person of interest in the murder.