PN blames Muscat again in Mistra row
Borg Olivier refuses to say whether Sant was right
Paul Borg Olivier (left) with his assistant, Jean Pierre Debono, watching a video clip of Labour leader Joseph Muscat.
Nationalist Party general secretary Paul Borg Olivier yesterday revived the 2008 Mistra spectre but refused to say whether former Labour leader Alfred Sant’s pre-election “attacks” on Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando were justified.
“I will not get into that,” he told journalists at a press conference where he was also asked whether the PN owed Dr Sant an apology for painting him as a liar.
Instead, Dr Borg Olivier focused on Labour leader Joseph Muscat and reiterated the claim that the then-Labour MEP had informed the PN of Dr Sant’s plans to attack Dr Pullicino Orlando.
The “attacks” were about Dr Pullicino Orlando’s plans to sell land he owned in Mistra for a nightclub to be built, plans that were confirmed at the last minute by a contract published by Dr Sant.
The saga caused big embarrassment to the PN, especially after the election as it vehemently defended Dr Pullicino Orlando, who downplayed the claims by saying the planning authority application was filed by third parties.
Only recently, the Prime Minister’s spokesman, Gordon Pisani, revealed a private conversation he had on the last day of the campaign in which Dr Pullicino Orlando said he felt “ill” when asked to go to the party headquarters after the contract was published.
But Dr Borg Olivier refused to pass judgement on Dr Pullicino Orlando, who recently resigned from the party to become an independent MP.
Instead, he produced two clips as evidence that Dr Muscat helped prepare the PN for the attacks.
The clips were taken from a Broadcasting Authority debate on February 25, 2008, when Dr Muscat said voters would soon be given a chance to see how Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi would deal with facts about corruption.
He does not mention any MP. Nor does he give any details of the Mistra project.
However, Dr Borg Olivier said these “hints” by Dr Muscat gave away Dr Sant’s strategy, enabling the PN to mount a strong defence.
Dr Borg Olivier argued that Dr Muscat had now denied leaking the information to the PN, claiming, as a rebuttal, that the Mistra story, including key documents, were leaked to Labour from within the PN.
Dr Borg Olivier pointed out that Dr Sant proved Dr Muscat wrong on Sunday when he stressed in the Labour media that the Mistra story was leaked by a “whistleblower”.
Dr Borg Olivier said Dr Muscat also had subsequent confidential conversations with PN officials that gave away more clues about the strategy. He failed to substantiate his claims, even when asked several times whether he had any evidence.
However, when contacted later by The Times, Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil said it was he who had received the information from Dr Muscat.
Dr Borg Olivier also failed to say that PN officials had, before the election, claimed the Mistra story was leaked to them by “disgusted” Labourites who were close to Dr Sant but angry by his “stream of fabrications” and “flinging of mud”.
However, he did point out that former general secretary Joe Saliba had, in 2008, made the same allegation the PN was making now in an interview with The Sunday Times and Dr Muscat had never issued a denial.
Labour recently dismissed the claims as a “conspiracy theory”, pointing out that the PN went from saying hints were given out inadvertently to making it seem like there was some form of leak.
The Labour party yesterday labelled the press conference “ridiculous”, saying only someone like Dr Borg Olivier would think that Dr Muscat could “leak” something on the national broadcaster with the entire country watching.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Marsa murder - Police looking...
Update 2: Three arrests after flamingo...
Former Judge Ray Pace found dead
Where’s Everybody staff is given notice
Revealed...the face of a Maltese woman...
Update 4 - Eddie Fenech Adami stable...
Update 3 - Woman trapped as car crashes...
Updated - Two bodies, capsized boat,...
Franco Mercieca doing routine eye ops at...
In Discussion
Update 2: Three arrests after flamingo...
Enemalta seeking minimum five year gas...
Mario de Marco, Zammit Dimech concede,...
Chinese company to study Malta-Gozo...
Updated - PM reacts to Labour anger on...
Franco Mercieca doing routine eye ops at...
No appeals board for first part of power...
Updated - PM comments as Franco Mercieca...
BBC site highlights illegal hunting in Malta
15 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Victor Laiviera
Jul 25th 2012, 15:19
"Nationalist Party general secretary Paul Borg Olivier yesterday revived the 2008 Mistra spectre but refused to say whether former Labour leader Alfred Sant’s pre-election “attacks” on Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando were justified."
The first sentence of the article says it all. Another monumental gaffe by PBO.
Victor Laiviera
Jul 25th 2012, 14:56
The PN, in its desperate search for a diversion – any diversion – to take people’s mind off the way it is coming apart at the seams, keeps shooting itself in the foot.
The more they keep this ridiculous fabrication going, the more they remind people of hoe dishonest ns cynical they were bin 2008.
Basically, they are admitting that even when they knew for sure that JPO was lying, they still backed him to the hilt, because for the, retaining power at all costs was the only thing that mattered.
Joseph Cauchi Senior
Jul 25th 2012, 12:46
Shouldn’t MLP apologists stop trying to play the innocents and call a spade a spade?
Alfred Sant believed that he had the trump card for his election victory by exploiting this Mistragate Scandal – but he was beaten to it, by JPO’s theatrics and all that weeping - !
By the way, Alfred Sant did confirm that this information was given to him by a “whistleblower”!
And YES, Joseph Muscat did let the MOUSE OUT OF THE BAG and made the PN aware to be prepared for the oncoming onslaught on Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando!
Perhaps, JM was (and is still) immature by not adhering to the saying that “Children should be seen but not heard”; as this might fit well on him!
JC.
A. Mizzi
Jul 25th 2012, 14:11
"Min ma jiggilidx il-korruzzjoni huwa korott"-E.FENECH ADAMI ...
The PN knew about it, the strategy team was in on it, and yet ...... just note Eddie 's quote !
What's GOod for the GOose is not necessarily GO for the gander!
victor bonello
Jul 25th 2012, 11:49
we have had enough of this bickering. If it is true, the PN should be ever grateful to Dr Muscat for behaving in such a gentlemanly manner, thus giving them the opportunity to prepare themselves for their defense. What actually tilted the scales was the underhanded import of hundreds of votes from UK.
Tony Agius
Jul 25th 2012, 12:42
@ victor bonello
Today, 11:49
(Joseph Muscat the then-Labour MEP had informed the PN of Dr Sant’s plans to attack Dr Pullicino Orlando.)
If it is true, the PN should be ever grateful to Dr Muscat for behaving in such a gentlemanly manner, thus giving them the opportunity to prepare themselves for their defense.
Ask all Labour supporters for their opinion about this, ask them if they feel happy or NOT , that Joseph made Dr. Sant become an Election loser , and Joseph a Leadership winner , clearing away Dr. Sant .
Tony Agius
Jul 25th 2012, 14:18
Dr Borg Olivier focused on Labour leader Joseph Muscat and reiterated the claim that the then-Labour MEP had informed the PN of Dr Sant’s plans to attack Dr Pullicino Orlando.
If it is true, it clearly means , that Joseph Muscat gave the PN the opportunity to prepare themselves for their defense, which resulted in Dr. Sant losing the Elections and later , Joseph Muscat becoing the Labour Party Leader . Such games gives funny results , do they ?
Lina Caruana
Jul 25th 2012, 11:36
could the many who were watching have identified what Dr. Muscat was unconsciously revealing through his speech ?Certainly Dr. Muscat here was addressing his own disheartened core voters but ignored the fact that many nationalists were listening too.
Mr J Xerri
Jul 25th 2012, 11:06
What is being said now is a far cry from the impression first given by the nationalist spokesmen and media who tried to make people believe that Joseph Muscat betrayed to LP by directly informing the PN about the Mistra saga.
And by the way it would be interesting to know if the LP already had information about the Mistra contract before the 26th February, as according to what has been said in various news stories Dr Sant came to know about this contract at a later date.
E. Azzopardi
Jul 25th 2012, 10:59
Let us look at the future and stop wasting time looking at the past. There are so many pressing problems.
And Mistra was of your own making.
Pat Hobson
Jul 25th 2012, 10:13
But the question remains "Who passed the Information to the PL?"
And the bigger question and most serious.
Why did the PN, knowing about Mistragate continued to protect and project as a martyr? This puts the PN as an accomplice in corruption. The PN knew full well about this, and projected JPO as a martyr to the MLP machine for votes. The PN used JPO as a saint until it got what it wanted, WIN THE ELECTIONS AT ALL COSTS. After that, JPO became a huge albatross round the PN's neck!
The PN is as guilty as JPO in this saga. There are only two words for the PN: ACCOMPLICES and HYPOCRITES!
Joseph Cauchi Senior
Jul 25th 2012, 12:25
@ Pat Hobson,
But the question remains "Who passed the Information to the PL?"
Did not Alfred Sant answer your question?
It was a whistleblower!
JC.
Victor Laiviera
Jul 25th 2012, 10:12
The PN, in its desperate search for a diversion – any diversion – to take people’s mind off the way it is coming apart at the seams, keeps shooting itself in the foot.
The more they keep this ridiculous fabrication going, the more they remind people of hoe dishonest ns cynical they were bin 2008.
Basically, they are admitting that even when they knew for sure that JPO was lying, they still backed him to the hilt, because for the, retaining power at all costs was the only thing that mattered.
Stephen Grech
Jul 25th 2012, 09:13
Perfect timing, since Dr.Muscat is on a holiday.
Tony Agius
Jul 25th 2012, 12:14
And when Joseph comes back is he going to confess the truth ?
Please choose the reason of your report below: