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Updated: Police should investigate allegations of deleted e-mails - Muscat

Any information of irregularities should be passed on to authorities - government

Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Allegations that government IT officials deleted e-mails which may be crucial to the investigation into Rita Schembri, the director of the Internal Audit and Investigations Department, should be investigated by the police, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this morning.

Speaking during a political activity in Mosta, Dr Muscat referred to allegations that that as soon as word of the investigation became public, IT officials deleted e-mails from computers in Ms Schembri’s government office.

He said that this claim should be investigated not just by the auditor general but also by the police.

Such a situation, Dr Muscat said, was not tolerable in a European country.

“We have to be Europeans in Malta,” he said, adding that Malta also had to be strong in its negotiations with the EU.

In a statement in the afternoon, the government said it expected all those who might have any information of irregularities, including the leader of the Opposition, to take such information to the responsible authorities, including the police, so that it could be investigated.

The government's position was consistent. Each report and/or allegation had to be investigated by the responsible authorities, including the police.

During the activity, Dr Muscat also spoke about the budget to be presented on Wednesday saying the Opposition did not know what would happen during the vote but it did not want to play with the country’s stability and wanted to put pensioners’ students’, families’, investors’ workers’ and employers’ minds at rest.

A new Labour government, he said, would retain the basis of the budget to be announced with all its positive points.

Labour was confident, he said, that the people would be judging the government not just on what they would be promised in this budget but on the full five years of the legislature.

The difference between this government and Labour, Dr Muscat said, was responsibility.

Unlike this government, Labour understood the economy and would not promise to reduce the deficit and then allow it to explode.

Dr Muscat referred to Commissioner Tonio Borg’s nomination, saying the PL had warned Dr Gonzi that his choice was problematic but the PL delegation nevertheless supported the choice and had it not been for the work of Maltese PL MEPs, Dr Borg’s nomination would not have been approved.

The PL, however, could not allow Malta to go through another humiliation in the EU.

“We worked hard for Dr Borg to be approved and we are not sorry,” Dr Muscat said.

Dr Muscat also referred to the EU budget negotiations and said that Malta was not getting less money because it was a victim of its own success, as the Prime Minister was claiming but because poorer countries had joined the union, placing Malta in a difficult position.

The PL, he said, had always managed to negotiate the best deals for Malta doubling, tripling and more what others would have managing to get and that is what it would continue to do.

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Victor Laiviera

Nov 26th 2012, 08:51

Indeed it is, Ms Borg. How very perceptive of you.

Bring European means being a realist an sending the people best fitted to defend your interests to Brussels.

Joseph Aquilina

Nov 25th 2012, 19:56

Dik opra!!!

mark borg

Nov 25th 2012, 17:44

Vote Gonzi...get someone like John Dalli

P. Ciantar

Nov 25th 2012, 18:21

@ Mark Borg I though you were going to say vote Joseph get Dalli or vote Joseph get AST

Frans Aguis

Nov 25th 2012, 16:52

Mr Davis Please note that this is what the TIMESOFMALTA decided to report on...not JUST what was said.

George Azzopardi

Nov 25th 2012, 17:18

heheh .. int qe ticcajta hux ... keep it up ta imma ghax b'dil-kampanja ta biza ga qedin f'hofra sew issa!!

Johan zammit

Nov 25th 2012, 17:46

What was wrong with Alfred Sant may be as he was not corrupted

Donna Parnis

Nov 25th 2012, 18:29

@Joseph Cauchi, Vote Gonzi and get more corruption, more bad moves by AG, More RCC ruling the country. more lies. and Much Much More DEBT,,

Alexander Brincat

Nov 25th 2012, 16:27

Have you ever considered another possibility? The one where you have not understood anything about Labour's proposals?

Joe Muscat

Nov 25th 2012, 16:16

With your kind of language and descriptions, it shows what an expert YOU are....Just a small reminder! The Maltese majority still trusts more PL MEPs to represent the country...Oh! And by the way it's NOBEL prize not Noble price.... bravu!

Charles Sammut

Nov 25th 2012, 17:44

ermm...it's NOBEL.....Mr.Nobel will not be impressed with your spelling of his name!

Mr Joe Micallef

Nov 25th 2012, 18:53

Sincere apologies for the typo which changes little!

Alexander Brincat

Nov 25th 2012, 16:28

Vote Gonzi get Gatt for another five years.

AB.

jm busuttil

Nov 25th 2012, 17:02

@ Alexander Brincat

You might be new to Malta but just to help you out Gatt has already declared several months ago that he will not be contesting the next general elections.

mark borg

Nov 25th 2012, 17:45

@that is just a cover up- yes gatt will still be there ,through his friends like Delia and la bella klikka

Joseph Fenech

Nov 25th 2012, 15:23

I agree... how come the police didnt call for a press conference? We want answers, you are all paid from OUR money!

Anthony Scicluna

Nov 25th 2012, 16:07

There are servers and backups. JB if you are not computer literate, don't comment

Mario Scicluna

Nov 25th 2012, 17:19

@Anthony Scicluna
Today, 16:07

I am more than literate in IT thankyou very much, and backups can sometimes fail 'mysteriously' for no apparent reason on the day! No need to be an IT guru to know how to go around this, can literally overwrite the same backup tape imbaghad nini nini retrieve clusters! On server as well, apparti mailbox cab kaput!
Tahsbu li min ghamilha xi dilettant?

alfred seguna

Nov 25th 2012, 15:16

Then why did they go, to play games?If they are experts in retrieving they should be experts in permanently deleting.May be these experts went to see if it is switched off because of a short circuit since she went abruptly on leave.

Victor Laiviera

Nov 25th 2012, 15:16

Not so, Mr Vella. There are many ways of deleting data in a way that ensure nothing is retrievable. And you don't have to be an expert to do it.

Here is just one example: http://www.upenn.edu/computing/security/privacy/data_clear.php

So who is ridiculous, now?

Eddy Privitera

Nov 25th 2012, 15:21

Joe vella: THis is why Dr. Muscat has asked the police to investigate, unless they too want to help the cover-up !

Mario Scicluna

Nov 25th 2012, 17:27

@Joe Vella
Today, 14:10
And you think that whoever did this is an amateur and leaves traces to be retrieved? I have already explained in the above comment, a relevant clue for Police would be the login credentials(if not root or dummy) or IP to establlish who was it. Unless remotely! But somehow it reminds me of the John Dalli email hacking incident! Kif ma ssemma xejn aktar hux?

John L Galea

Nov 26th 2012, 07:23

@Joe Vella: It's better if you first learn on how to write without spelling and grammatical mistakes, before coming here and boasting your obviously dubious IT skills.

James Attard

Nov 25th 2012, 14:27

There are experts who know how to retrieve deleted documents and likewise, there are other experts who know how to permanently erase data

Joseph Calleja

Nov 25th 2012, 15:36

Yes of course that one could retreive deleted documents but what about changed hardisks. This is what usually happens when elections are at hand and more if the chances of being relected are slim.

John Zammit

Nov 25th 2012, 14:50

are the police going to investigate ??????

George Azzopardi

Nov 25th 2012, 17:19

what are u afraid of?

John Zammit

Nov 25th 2012, 14:49

@Louis Muscat Tell it to the marines.This phrase should be told to Commissioner Borg for he also said on the media a big thank you to the socialist

Mr Joe Micallef

Nov 25th 2012, 16:07

Agreed for people like you he speaks wisdom!

Joseph Micallef

Nov 25th 2012, 23:56

Am glad you are seeing objectively whom of the two leaders speaks seriously. Unlike GonziPN who spoke rubbish about the super, mega, ultra brazilian company, the tax cuts, the tens of failed promises, that drydocks + shipyards employees, the GO employees (sure.. Go.. gooo away!) etc.., Dr. Muscat was always proved to be on the right side of history.

George Azzopardi

Nov 25th 2012, 17:20

widjen torox .. qed tisma Net TV biss siehbi!

robert pace

Nov 25th 2012, 14:07

Yes we rememberSea Malta Air malta The Dockyard and maybe Enemalta, we remeber how thsi goverment gave us the boot and gave you the crumbs to set you out on the dole!!! We remeber how everything became expensive and hardly affordable. We remeber how this goverment managed to ruin everything including public transport. Go Gonzi Go your days are over...Thank you and dont turn back for heaven sake!!

Matthew Ciantar

Nov 25th 2012, 14:51

actually I quiet agree that Stipends become loans. In other developed countries you pay thousands of dollars/euros to get educated, why so is the maltese student different?

Plus anyways, most students work nowadays, the stipend is pocket money only . . .

John Zammit

Nov 25th 2012, 13:52

@George Cutajar. Just go tell it to the marines and stop taking us for rides. So said George Cutajar. If he heard the new appointed Commissioner Borg speaks on the media you would not have even dreamt of saying such words

Joe Borg (Senior)

Nov 25th 2012, 14:48

@George Cutajar: vera nies bla sens ta dicenza, jigifieri kulhadd jaf li MEP's tal-PL ghamlu li setaw, tant li ghanke T. Borg w S.Busuttil irrigrazzjaw w fahru l-inzjativa w mbad jigi xi hadd bhalek w qed tghidilna x-ghamlu s-socjalist tal-EU! Dan ovja qed tikkupoja x'qal PBO w GonziPN. Anke li hadd ma vvota mil bqija tal-PS tal-EU, xorta miskom tirrigrazzjaw lil JM ghal dan il*-gest ta ghaqda!

Eddy Privitera

Nov 25th 2012, 15:27

George Cutajar: Had the PL MEPs not helped to get dr. Tonio Borg approved, would Dr. Borg have thanked them publicly TWICE if not more ????

Joe Borg (Senior)

Nov 25th 2012, 14:51

Ma tafx x'qed tghid gbin .. pero ejja nghid li vera ma rnexilhomx ghal-kollox. Dejjem ahjar milli kienu ghamlu l-PN meta kienu marru fl-Ewropa j'xewxu biex ma jghinux lil gvern Malta!!

Lawrence Attard

Nov 25th 2012, 12:52

Jien ivvutajt biex nidhlu fl EU pero xorta se naghti fidducja lill Dr Muscat. Il-PN ghandu bzonn jitnaddaf mill hakma tal ftit li hatfuh.

joseph spiteri

Nov 25th 2012, 14:18

Sorry Joseph,
Have you ever heard a saying of the following from your leader's mouth.
Its not what I say but what I do.
Never take things for granted for the situation might change.
Biblical words from your leader's mouth.
Try to deny, and I will give you a lot to work on..

Joe Borg (Senior)

Nov 25th 2012, 14:52

Sur Camilleri, taf kemm illu jaghmel UTurns Dr.Gonzi f'dan l-ahhar sena ibda mil-500euro fil-gimgha zieda w issa bir-rata tal-icome tax!!!

Eddy Privitera

Nov 25th 2012, 15:30

Joseph Camilleri: La ghandek il-memorja tajba daqshekk, mela zgur tiftakar li l-PN weghduk LM 100 miljun ( €232 miljuni) fis-sena mill-UE, hux ? U tiftakar ukoll li QATT ma qalulek li xi darba dawk l-LM 100 miljun kienu se jibdew jonqsu, hux ???

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