Updated: PL leader raises questions on recent arrival of immigrants in Gozo

(Adds Dr Perici Calascione's reaction)

The boatload of illegal immigrants which landed in Gozo some days ago had been given fuel and directed to the island when it was close to Italy, Opposition leader Joseph Muscat said.

Addressing a meeting at Ta’ Cenc in Gozo this morning, Dr Muscat said he had a number of questions about this incident:

How could immigrants coming from the south end in the north? Did this boat enter like many others or in a different way? What had police investigations concluded? Was it true that the boat had been intercepted by the Armed Forces? Where?

Dr Muscat said that he was informed that the boat had passed by Malta and it had been spotted by the AFM. As it was moving close to Italy, someone directed it to Gozo. The Prime Minister wanted to keep this incident under wraps because he had lost control.

Dr Muscat recalled that when he had proposed giving immigrants assistance and letting them go three years ago, the government had been scandalised. The same proposal was now being made.

And when in October he advised the government not to sign the Immigration Pact as voluntary burden sharing would not work, he was told that compulsory burden sharing was not beneficial for Malta. Now eight months later, the government was calling for compulsory burden sharing.

During yesterday's meeting, Dr Muscat played a recording of a meeting held with hunters and trappers by Nationalist MEP candidate Alex Perici Calascione. Dr Perici Calascione was heard telling the hunter that they had been deceived by President Emeritus Eddie Fenech Adami, then Prime Minister.

Dr Muscat said that when Dr Perici Calascione was making this statement, there were present for the same meeting Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and the PN’s deputy general secretary Jean Pierre Debono.

But in a reaction, Dr Perici Calascione said he would be suing Dr Muscat for libel because the recording he played was only a fraction of his speech and did not reflect the gist of it. Had Dr Muscat played a bit more of the recording, he would have shown his listeners that he (Dr Perici Calascione) had tried to factually prove that Dr Fenech Adami was not mad and had not deceived hunters.

He challenged Dr Muscat to quote all his speech or withdraw what he said and apologise.

Dr Muscat referred to the VAT corruption case and asked how much money was involved. He said he wanted to know who was to shoulder political responsibility.

Three weeks had already gone by since he first asked the questions and he had not yet been given a reply. A political judgement, he said, could be made in spite of investigations.

He urged supporters to vote in the June 6 elections and not to heed those who were saying this would be an easy election for Labour.

“This is a very difficult election for us. We need each and every vote. Everyone has to go and vote both for the EP and council elections,” he said.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dr Muscat thanked Chiara for her performance at the Eurovision Song Contest yesterday and former Nationalist MP Louis Refalo who was present for the meeting and who had become a member of MLP.