Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Arnold Cassola yesterday deplored the Prime Minister’s use of an inquiry into the death of a migrant to score political points and challenged him to release all unpublished inquiries.

Although it was positive that the inquiry unveiled the appalling situation at Malta’s migrant detention centres, he could not understand why Joseph Muscat waited two years to publish the findings, Prof. Cassola said.

It was obvious that Dr Muscat tried to use the inquiry to deviate attention from the grave mistake committed under his watch following the shooting incident involving former minister Manuel Mallia’s driver, he added.

“Dr Muscat only got the inquiry out of the bag because he was with his back against the wall,” Prof. Cassola told the annual general meeting of Alternattiva Demokratika.

He said the Prime Minister chose to sack Dr Mallia because of the public outcry and media pressure following the incident.

Prof. Cassola also criticised Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil for trying to influence the inquiry into the shooting incident by putting pressure on the retired judges conducting it. He challenged the Prime Minister to make public the conclusions of all inquiries. One of the inquiries focused on a fight at the Żabbar police station where police decided to drop charges against the aggressor, while another dealt with the case of a man who was wrongly charged in court.

Turning to the political scene, Prof. Cassola said his party will continue to say the truth despite finding it hard to penetrate the political duopoly.

He said Alternattiva will be fielding a number of candidates for the next local elections, which will probably be held together with the spring hunting referendum, “another important appointment” for the party.