Prime Minister appeals for more justice reform

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi appealed for justice reform yesterday as frame-up victim Pietru Pawl Busuttil spoke of being wrongly charged with murder 25 years ago and how the incident paved the way to democracy.

I’m proud of giving my small contribution to see Malta change the way it has

Speaking at a PN activity in Safi, where Mr Busuttil is mayor, Dr Gonzi spoke of the country’s transformation since the bitter political days of the 1980s but said there was more to be done to avoid history repeating itself.

Dr Gonzi said more guarantees were required to ensure innocent people were not unfairly trapped in the system.

As he listed a number of pending issues, Dr Gonzi seemed to be paraphrasing the declared agenda of Nationalist backbencher Franco Debono, who has long been campaigning for various justice reforms while being internally criticised for being too critical and vociferous.

Dr Gonzi said the courts should be more efficient, civil rights should be secured while Malta’s Constitution was due for a revamp, particularly on aspects of neutrality – to ensure Malta was not muzzled in international politics.

Before Dr Gonzi spoke, Mr Busuttil and his son Elton were interviewed by celebrated writer and OPM employee Pierre Mejlak, who pointed out that in the scheme of things, what happened 25 years ago was very recent history.

Pietru Pawl Busuttil said he overcame the bewilderment of being framed and wrongly accused of murder due to his courage and faith as well as the good advice and hard work of the late President Emeritus Guido de Marco, his defence lawyer.

“I still take pills for my heart and if I miss a dose I start losing breath instantly and I have to fetch the medication,” he said, adding that the shock created a fault in his heart which he described as a disability. He said he could never forgive the fact that his father died from worry after three heart attacks due to what was happening.

Mr Busuttil explained how he spent days crying in hospital after realising that he had taken his freedom for granted only to end up trapped.

On the plus side, he said, the country had changed dramatically over the past 25 years, so much so that his sister who moved to Australia was prepared to return.

“I’m proud of giving my small contribution to see Malta change the way it has.”

Meanwhile, his son Elton Busuttil explained how at such a young age he had never heard of the word “frame-up” but soon came to understand its full meaning. It was difficult for him to look at the police and think the people who were meant to prevent such atrocities were the ones orchestrating them.

He added that after 25 years he could understand those who said these events should not be remembered.

“At school we make an effort to memorise what happened 400 years ago and [they] expect me to forget what happened to my father yesterday...”

Framed

Pietru Pawl Busuttil, who today is Safi’s mayor, became a Nationalist hero after he was framed in 1986 for the murder of PN activist Raymond Caruana at the party club in Gudja.

Police had planted the weapon, as well as other items, at his pig farm, and charged him with the killing.

With the late President Emeritus Guido De Marco as his lawyer, Mr Busuttil was freed but no one was ever tried in court over the frame-up.