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Pisani in 'minister' dig at JPO - MP says he was being set up as a scapegoat

Updated with Gordon Pisani's statement

Gordon Pisani, the Prime Minister's spokesman, said this afternoon, it was Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando who decided to call him as witness and he (JPO) had no right to now say that he should not have said certain things he (Pisani) knew about.

Mr Pisani was replying to a statement by Dr Pullicino Orlando earlier today that he had purposely delayed going to PN headquarters two days before the 2008 elections, when summoned by Mr Pisani, because he realised that he was being set up to be used as a scapegoat in the eventuality of an election defeat.

Mr Pisani, yesterday gave details at the PN Executive meeting of two conversations he held with Dr Pullicino Orlando immediately after then Labour leader Alfred Sant had revealed the existence of a contract which confirmed Dr Pullicino Orlando's plans to turn his field in Mistra into a discotheque.

Mr Pisani had phoned Dr Pullicino Orlando, summoned him to PN headquarters, and asked him whether he had a lease contract for his land at Mistra. He responded by asking: "Why?", according to Mr Pisani's notes.

When Mr Pisani explained that Dr Sant had published the contract, Dr Pullicino Orlando said: "I'm feeling ill", repeating that line several times and saying he could not go to PN headquarters.

"Is your contract worth hundreds, thousands?" asked Mr Pisani.

"Isn't it better if you didn't know?" replied Dr Pullicino Orlando.

"Tens of thousands?"

"Big amounts," was the MP's reply.

When he eventually went to PN headquarters Dr Pullicino Orlando was accompanied by his lawyer Alex Perici Calascione. He insisted he had the right to make a contract and this did not amount to corruption. He said he entered into the contract to have a good income.

He was told to release a statement and go straight to the police commissioner.

In his statement this afternoon, Dr Pullicino Olando said:

"In what was obviously a stage-managed affair Mr Gordon Pisani, after being instigated to do so by Dr Austin Gatt, (yesterday) also chose to speak about a private conversation we had a couple of days before the 2008 elections. This was obviously unrelated to the affair at hand, which was the motion asking for Mr Cachia Caruana's resignation. The details of this conversation, which I did not deny, reveal nothing new. I would just like to clarify one point, as I did during yesterday's Executive Committee meeting.

"I purposely delayed going to the PN Headquarters two days before the elections when summoned by Mr Gordon Pisani, acting under the directions of Mr Cachia Caruana. I realised that, after having used me to gain points by portraying Dr Alfred Sant as a bully as part of the 'Mistra campaign', they were now in the process of setting me up as a scapegoat in the eventuality of an electoral defeat.

"I therefore procrastinated, in order to gain enough time to consult my lawyer Dr. Alex Perici Calascione who accompanied me to the PN Headquarters to explain that there was absolutely nothing to worry about with regards to the contract related to the Mistra project. I had, indirectly, made a reference to this contract a week earlier in an article published under my name in The Times and had never been asked for it before the telephone conversation I had with Mr. Gordon Pisani, the contents of which he has now chosen to divulge," he said.

The Nationalist MP added that what happened yestersay meant that "anyone dealing with certain high-ranking officials of the PN and the Office of the Prime Minister should, from now onwards, appreciate that what they say may be divulged publicly and possibly twisted."

"It is also obvious that the 'leak' of selected parts of what should have been an internal meeting of the Executive Committee was very well organised. It is no wonder that many MPs are choosing not to attend for our Parliamentary Group and Executive Committee meetings. This is indeed a shameful state of affairs," he said.

In his statement, Dr Pullicino Orlando said he had called Gordon Pisani as a witness during yesterday's PN Executive Committee meeting to confirm that, prior to the 2008 elections, Mr Cachia Caruana had sent us both to the house of Mrs. Daphne Caruana Galizia in Bidnija as she was engaged in helping us with the 'Mistra campaign'. Mr Pisani confirmed this, he said, proving the direct link between Mr Cachia Caruana and Mrs Caruana Galizia who, he claimed, was also used to target those of who refuseed to bow their heads to the whims of the clique that Mr Cachia Caruana formed part of.

Mr Pisani said in his statement that the conversations he gave evidence about were relevant because they showed that the PN did not know the whole truth about the Mistra land.

The PN did not know that Dr Pullicino Orlando had a contract signed in front of a notary covering development at Mistra and rental amounts. Whenever he was asked questions, Dr Pullicino Orlando never said he had this contract, which the PN only got to know about on March 6, the last day of the elctoral campaign.

Mr Pisani said that in his evidence he explained that had the PN known the whole truth, it would have acted differently.

He insisted that Dr Pullicino Orlando was not being truthful when he said that he (Pisani) called him at the PN headquarters on Mr Cachia Caruana's instructions.

"Mr Cachia Caruana was not next to me, he did not ask me to send for him and he did not even know I would be making that call. So the link Dr Pullicino Orlando is trying to make is wrong."

It was also not true that he had confirmed that Daphne Caruana Galizia had been asked to help in what Dr Pullicino Orlando was calling the Mistra campaign, Mr Pisani said.

He said he explained that Dr Pullicino Orlando was satisfied that Mrs Caruana Galizia wrote an article to be published in his name, according to information he had on February 29, 2008.

He said he explained that Dr Pullicino Orlando was comfortable meeting Mrs Caruana Galizia, so much so that he gave her a business card as head of the Council of Europe delegation and told her that he was using up the cards he had left because he would soon have new ones as minister.

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Francis Saliba M.D.

Jul 19th 2012, 12:25

@ Hossam Helwani today at 10:56

You ask Dr Joseph Grech Attard where he was in the 70s and 80's only because you do not know that he then was very much at the centre of those "golden years" of Labour exercising his skills in the medical field.

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jul 19th 2012, 09:14

@ Jay Oatman.today at 07:22

The electorate during all general elections since 1987 (bar one), did not share your personal view about the inefficiency of NP governments over the last twenty years.

Chantelle Cassar Saguna

Jul 19th 2012, 09:24

UUUU Ajma Jay Oatmon reading your comment seems you not living on the island!! Everything is wrong.... So how come the labout never won over the PN ? Get your fact right!!

Hossam Helwani

Jul 19th 2012, 01:44

@ Mr Joseph Fenech

given the way lejber operates I would not be at all surprised. The narcissism emerging from certain know it all politicians is quite the trend of the day. And I would not be surprised if all this is true.

Alfred Cassar

Jul 18th 2012, 22:56

Well said , if not for the hand, he's reaching to bite anyone and anything.

I get the feeling this man in the picture is about to cry.

Jeff, knowing you in public with your crying, one would just imagine, what you'd go through in private. I think you should start your mourning period.

Your Political career is dead, both with the PN and the Labour Movement.

A political traitor is always a Traitor.

m. borg (slm)

Jul 18th 2012, 22:15

Who misled who?

Min dahhaq b'min?

Joseph Aquilina

Jul 18th 2012, 19:04

JPO with supporting actors Joseph Muscat, Karmenu Vella and Joe Mizzi are the only commedy on the island. Gonzi and PN are the only serious party good enough to govern this country, and what happened these last few days is the proof of that. The opposition, with the help of JPO, has started organising frame ups in it's typical labour style of the 80s!!! Why should the Maltese vote for a party who hasn't changed a bit in the last 30 years? why?

A Trapani

Jul 19th 2012, 01:27

.... you can restart watching the sopranos once MLP are finally back in government Pat..... unless Joseph finds a hofra and triples your utility bills and you won't afford to switch on your TV.

Eve Axiaq

Jul 18th 2012, 20:04

Ahajr ssaqsi lil JPO ghax kieku ma kellux x'jahbi kien jammetti mal-ewwel u jagixxi differenti anke ma shabu stess!

G Schembri

Jul 18th 2012, 18:06

When did Alfred Sant come into possession of the said contract, and who gave it to him? Did Sant act scared or was he also a pawn, receiving enough information about the Mistra land to cause a stir but not enough to damn JPO, before the election, thus looking scared?

Joseph Aquilina

Jul 18th 2012, 19:06

@G Schembri
That we will never know, what we know is that not even PN knew about the whole Mistra case and JPO confirmed that himself today!! PN where in deep trouble and trusted that JPO was saying the truth. Today we have the confirmation that PN and its members acted in good faith when they defended JPO and PL/Labour have only JPO to blame for any missed opportunity...

Joseph Grech Attard

Jul 18th 2012, 19:50

@ Dr. Francis Saliba
today at 17.32
GonziPN acted 100% anti-Dr. Sant and threw as much hate and mud at him as possible, even on the last day of the election campaign. JPO was gieven 100% credibility and Dr. Sant given the title of a 100% liar. Only people with amnesia can alter that. It was RCC himself who sent JPO to follow Dr. Sant wherever he went. Why? For the truth to emerge? Or to pick up the fragments of what was left of GonziPN? And who created the scenario for JPO to suddenly become a journalist when Dr. Sant was going to give a press conference. There was time, and how, to show the truth about Mistra, but GonziPN, as is the case of the history of the PN, preferred to defend evil. Dr. Alfred Sant acted as any honest human being would do and time has proved him right, at least twice, one of them through the Law Courts.

cesco di luigi

Jul 18th 2012, 20:18

Mhux ovvja Dott. ghal nies bhalek KOLLOX tort ta Sant. Now pull the other one

m. borg (slm)

Jul 18th 2012, 22:13

Dr Sant did what he had to do it was up to gonzipn then to censor JPO but did not and played a game of strategy.

It was gonzipn who played underhanded and JPO could not but follow orders to save his skin like anyone else would do.

".....Sant acted scared and unconvinc when all the time he held the trump card but did not play it as he should have done.
Knowing your nationalist credentials this comes as a far fetched opinion. I wonder what you would have said if he did (Sant)

Philip Hili

Jul 18th 2012, 23:57

@ G. Schembri

Sur Scbhembri, nahseb li qabel sar dan il-kuntratt, xi haga IL-MEPA !!!! saret hux!!! Daqs kemm hemm kuntatti fil-MEPA!!!!

Min ghandu mohh biex jifhem, ha jifhem!!!!!

G Schembri

Jul 19th 2012, 07:57

Sur Hili, dan il-Kuntratt ma sarx il-MEPA izda ghand nutar. Il-MEPA l-applikazjoni ghal bini saret, imma kuntratt ta' Kera normalment isir privatament, ghalkemm ried ikun hemm prova tal-kuntratt, la l-applikazjoni ma kienitx f'isem is-sid.

Philip Hili

Jul 19th 2012, 10:27

@G Schembri

Sur Schembri qabel it-taptap, ara xi jkun inkiteb :- "qabel sar dan il-kuntratt, xi haga IL-MEPA !!!! saret hux!!! "

Hadd ma qallek li l-kuntratt mhux ghand in-nutar sar. Imma la ktibt hekk nahseb li r-ruh fehmet ghalliema "kuntatti" qieghed nirreferi.

Sur Schembri, in-nies taf lin-nies!!!!!!!!

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jul 19th 2012, 10:45

@ Joseph Grech Attard, yesterday at 19:50

It stands to reason that the Nationalist Party would oppose Alfred Sant because, as MLP party leader, he was the embodiment of Labour. That it “threw as much hate and mud at him as possible”, that is your brash distortion and it that does not deserve attention.

As the truth about Mistra started to emerge, after the election, Pullicino Orlando was NOT given 100% credibility. He was only reluctantly tolerated as a scab and a nuisance by the NP and only because his vote was essential for the survival of government. Om the other hand, it was Joseph Muscat's LP that started to embrace what Sant had condemned as morally and politically corrupt. The Labour Part is acting like the proverbial Petrine cur that returned to lick back what it had just vomited.

Sant’s disclosure of the existence of a damnable contract, was deliberately timed for the eve of the election when it would cause maximum damage and it was a cheap political trick. It needed to be countered urgently. This was done successfully but only because Sant failed to convince the electorate about the reality of the Mistra scandal.

Alfred Sant acted as “any human being” in the sense that he made a mistake and, as a result, he was punished and unceremoniously ditched by his own party, the MLP.

Mr Joseph Huber

Jul 18th 2012, 17:54

Don't forget dear friend that there is a Maltese saying which goes: kull min jgħolli għabtu kulħadd għandu xi jxomm!!!!

D Vella

Jul 18th 2012, 18:03

Dak m'hu xejn siehbi . . . . stenna daqsxejn sakemm jibdew jaghmlu l-istess il-lejber . . . ! ! !

Eddy Privitera

Jul 18th 2012, 19:04

D.Vella: Ghandek xi hila straordinarja li taf li l-PL se jghamel l-istess HNIZRIJIET li ghamel GonziPN ?

Min jaf kieku int tghid lil xi had li t-talija "Qahba", u dan jiripondik li ohtok hekk se tispicca wkoll ! Xi tghid ?

Joseph Aquilina

Jul 18th 2012, 19:18

The only person getting out dirty from this issue is JPO plus those who helped him out; Joseph Muscat, Karmenu Vella and the other puppet "I do whatever the leader tells me to do" Joe Mizzi. What is clear to all Maltese is how PN before the last election acted in good trust believing the version JPO sold them. What is clear to Maltese is how Gonzi and PN are the only who are still managing this country in a civilized and respectful way, while PL is the real culprit for turning politics in Malta into one big joke!!

Angus Black

Jul 18th 2012, 18:43

Il-ghala 'mishut pajjiz' Sur Joseph Borg? X'jonqsok? Flus fil-but? Impieg ta nies? Serhan il-mohh?
Mela kemm ikun aktar mishut jekk tal-Lejber, mimli skaduti mill-70 u 80ijiet jerghu jigu bir-riedni f'idejhom?
Bilhaqq iva, l-aqwa li Joseph irahhaslek it-tariffa tad-dawl imma ma jimporta xejn jekk jghollilek it-taxxi mas-sema!
Mur gibek tghix il-Grecja, jew Spanja fejn il-qaghad iqarreb 20%, il-pagi u l-penzjonijiet imnaqqsa u t-taxxi mghollija. Mela x'kont taghmel? Tispara ghar-rasek? Kull meta tikkummenta w tuza kliem Joseph iktar il-kreddibilta tieghek u tal PL tkompli tghodos aktar milli hi.

Lina Caruana

Jul 18th 2012, 21:04

May God save us and not condemn us!!!!! May the Lord have mercy on our wayward politicians wherever they are sited.

Mary Ann Borg

Jul 18th 2012, 21:18

Ghandek ragun li dan hu pajjiz mishut Sur Borg. Mishut ghax ghad hemm il-possibilita' li jerga jkollna l-Lejber fil-gvern immexxi minn wiehed mdawwar bin-nies tal-80s.

G Schembri

Jul 18th 2012, 18:15

Do you really believe that the leaders of the PN knew less than the MLP about the Mistra case. If you follow the story closely you will realise that the PN were always a step in front of Alfred Sant. The Mistra story was one of the reasons many PN supporters who had decided not to vote went out in the eleventh hour and voted, thinking that JPO was being bullied by Alfred Sant. The PN gained many votes through this story. I wonder who is the master of frameups the PL or the PN.

Joseph Aquilina

Jul 18th 2012, 19:19

@G Schembri
That is my understanding of the above article, JPO, the person who PL have been defending and declaring as the innocent of all innocents, confirmed so it seems ... PN phoned him to ask him what the story was about and had to wait two days before JPO gave them an answer!! All of a sudden JPO is not so innocent for PL???

m. borg (slm)

Jul 18th 2012, 22:07

The only honest person in gonzipn 4 years ago was Joe Saliba who immediately let know that JPO should vacate his seat.

gonzi and the rest were content to move along with JPO.

Who is dishonest JPO or gonzipn.

It is natural that even hardened criminals try to clear their names, JPO did nothing out of the extraordinary but gonzipn did.

Joseph Aquilina

Jul 18th 2012, 17:04

@Noel Damato
Clearly you lack any basic understanding of democracy and of what is going on. Parliament voted and RCC resigned from his job. However that does not mean that RCC had to also resign from PN; Unlike labour times, Parliament and the party are not the same thing...

Joseph Aquilina

Jul 18th 2012, 17:15

Thanks to who? .... thanks to JPOS supported by Joseph Muscat ...

Mr Andrew Camilleri

Jul 18th 2012, 17:28

And don't take you clothes off either!

G Schembri

Jul 18th 2012, 18:17

Ghax il-magna tal-PN hija aktar hazina min Alfred Sant. Ara kif qed ifarku lil taghhom stess, ahseb u ara lil ta kontihom.

Eddy Privitera

Jul 18th 2012, 20:04

Easy to know: THEY NEVER SUSPECTED THAT THE MISTRA AFFAIR WAS ALL STAGE-MANAGED BY RCC AND THE GONZIPN STRATEGISTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Philip Hili

Jul 18th 2012, 23:59

@ MARIO GALEA

Because he seemed not sure of himself. Had he been sure of himself, he should have accepted the challenge and called his bluff.

Joseph Aquilina

Jul 18th 2012, 17:08

What does the decision on RCC have to do with the country? The government is still in place and indeed has still not lost one single vote of confidence (since if it had indeed lost one we would be going strait for an election).

Clearly what we have in front of us is a political frame up by PL with the aid of JPOS. Clearly labour with Joseph Muscat is still the same old party of the 80s, the party who was at the helm of the country in one of the most violent decade this country ever witnessed.

Mr Joseph Apap

Jul 18th 2012, 17:31

Where is the corruption in yesterdays meeting

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jul 18th 2012, 17:41

@ Joseph Grech Attard, today at 16:17.

The corruption lies in the fact that the Labour Party knowing full well that it was associating with a person that its own leader had identified as morally and politically corrupt, supported that person in his scheme for personal vengeance and destroyed the career of an honest and capable person who had given excellent and faithful service to his country.

John Cole Smith

Jul 18th 2012, 17:05

Word around is Labour has expelled JPOS before even considering him. A week in Politics is a lifetime, so many things have happened.

So silent are Ministers and the Cabinet, well they are busy , dishing out wrapped presents and driving the country into total oblivion!

I wish I could see what a 'HOFRA' we are truly in!

That is what Gonzi PN must talk about now, since JPO is history.

And History it is, so if JPO is a man of word, having said , his expulsion would lead to instant elections, that should suppose to mean, with the next vote, if we have one, the government , will fall.

Down goes Jeff, down goes the Government.

Joseph Aquilina

Jul 18th 2012, 17:14

Why should he? Did he loose a vote of confidence? NO!! Then Gonzi is duty bound to stay on as PM and govern this country - even when faced with PL which only interests are to gain power then the real good for this country - even when faced with PL who shows all the sign of being the same old party of the 80s so famous for the frame ups they used to organize!!

... and mind you, in the next election people will not vote for the party they want to govern the country, but for the party they want to remain in the opposition!!

John L Galea

Jul 19th 2012, 08:15

@Joseph Aquilina: Why doesn't Gonzi call for another vote of confidence now after the drama has escalated?

Philip Hili

Jul 19th 2012, 00:07

@ F. Scicluna

You are very much mistaken Mr. Scicluna!!

Had it not been the case of Mistra in which this person is involved, the PN would have had three seat majority not one! It is not to his credit that the PN won last elections. But it is to his credit that the PN lost two seats majority.

John Cole Smith

Jul 18th 2012, 16:54

Hi Joe,

he used to do that , at school, as they say we never change.

: )

Alfred Vassallo

Jul 18th 2012, 16:15

The truth hurts eh, Angelo, of course it does. The big pn spinning machine has been brought to a griding halt!
From now on people will start saying ''is it so'..... 'what if'....'' look what came out from that JPO affair'.....'' can't trust these people any more.''

ANTHONY PAVIA

Jul 18th 2012, 16:32

Mr Vassallo, Poveri noi! Due to these shenanigans coming to light, the Maltese citizen is waking up to the reality of electioneering spin. Maliciousness, cut throat outright lies and glossy undo-able promises. I auger the Maltese citizen to open his ears and eyes and not let anyone treat him so shabbily again.

John Cole Smith

Jul 18th 2012, 16:18

good 1

K CASSAR

Jul 18th 2012, 16:32

Well said Ms Caruana. All the things that Alfred Sant said have actually turned out to be true including the economic predictions! If we had Dr. Sant as the minister of finance, Malta would be playing a much happier game!!!

Alfred Cassar

Jul 18th 2012, 22:59

K Cassar, yes if he were to be our Finance minister, we would still be using the Maltese Lira devaluated by 10% and perhaps another 10%

m farrugia

Jul 18th 2012, 16:31

that's it

u ahna l-imsieken issa noqoghdu nghumu f'bahar taxex u ghaks taht il pl u hu jilhaq xi chairman u joqghod ippapiha taht il labour biex jirringrazzjawh tal palata li tahom biex iwaqqghu gvern legittimu

wara kollox daphne kellha ragun tghid snin ilu li jpo qed ikun spiss fkumpanija ta nies tal pl f'social events u ggib ritratti, iz zejt tiela fwicc l-ilma

Joe Vella

Jul 18th 2012, 16:02

Andrew Camilleri, the PN have never been divided, unlike the PL. The PN is greater then its' parts. The PN will emerge stronger then ever, and that doesn't hold well for the PL.

John Cole Smith

Jul 18th 2012, 16:22

Is it not a fact that the 'Appointed One' who has been a staunch supporter of the outgoing loser, will not survive the light of day?

To my knowledge if I support blindfold, my mentor, I support what he does, and agree fully to his results.

Logically with Dr. Busutill, we should expect not more of the same , but a catastrophe.

John L Galea

Jul 19th 2012, 08:11

@Joe Vella:" the PN have never been divided, unlike the PL. The PN is greater then its' parts."...yes yes and the tooth fairy exists...and pigs can fly too...lol

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