Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil welcomed former Cabinet minister Michael Falzon’s “unconditional apology” for failing to declare €460,000 in a Swiss account.
Though Mr Falzon’s suspension from the Nationalist Party would still stand “until the whole matter is cleared up”, his apology for “his breach of public trust” would be taken “well into account” by the party structure in reaching their conclusions, Dr Busuttil said.
The apology, on Wednesday, came after Mr Falzon publicly admitted last week to having had an undeclared Swiss account. In his apology, he said he should have repatriated the funds on the first “possible occasion” after the 1987 election and the money should have been included in his ministerial declaration of assets.
Mr Falzon and Ninu Zammit, another former Nationalist Cabinet minister, together with businessman Tancred Tabone are, so far, the only Maltese named out of a list of 71 clients based in Malta with accounts in the Geneva branch of HSBC. Both said they regularised their position after benefitting from tax amnesties launched by the Maltese government.
His gesture acknowledges the highest standards expected of people holding public office or political positions
Mr Falzon’s gesture “acknowledges the highest standards expected of people holding public office or political positions”, Dr Busuttil said.
He called on Mr Falzon and Mr Zammit to “immediately provide all the relevant facts to allow the party structures to initiate their work without delay”.
The PN always strove for the highest possible standards from those holding public office or political positions but the same could not be said of the Labour Party, he added.
“Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has, in fact, repeatedly sent out the message that, instead of raising standards, he wishes to see exceptions made to the rules we already have in place,” Dr Busuttil said.
Dr Busuttil referred to the ministerial code of ethics, ministers’ behaviour in relation to their jobs, income and wealth, public procurement, environment laws and the recent “blatant misuse of taxpayers’ money” in the Cafe Premier scandal under the personal direction of Dr Muscat.
“It is time Dr Muscat committed himself to the higher standards the Maltese electorate desires and has a right to” instead of encouraging people to break the rules and criticising those who wanted to uphold them, he said.
Dr Busuttil called on Dr Muscat to agree to debate in Parliament a Bill to establish the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards in Public Life, which had been tabled more than a year ago.
“This initiative is still languishing in the indifference of a Labour government that does not value high standards in public office,” he said.