The American University of Malta project in Marsascala was not an investment in education but a real estate project on a large tract of land outside the development zone in Marsascala, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said this morning.
Speaking in Nadur, Dr Busuttil said people were starting to question every statement made by the Prime Minister and asking “where’s the catch?”.
The recent announcement of an American university was a case in point as this was no educational investment, as Dr Muscat had described.
Dr Busuttil also pointed that people very close to the Labour Party would profit from this project as their land became earmarked for development and so would be expropriated.
He said the Labour government was stooping to the lowest levels, and its actions were reminiscent of those taken in the 80s by former minister Lorry Sant. He added that the government’s track record on the environment was conveying a “vote Joseph get Lorry” message.
Touching on the “works for votes” scandal, he said the Nationalist Party's response had highlighted different standards adopted by the two parties.
Dr Busuttil said that after speaking with the former Gozo Minister, whose husband was charged in court, they both arrived to the “clear and logical” conclusion that she had to resign from the parliamentary group.
He said he accepted her resignation, as he felt as that whoever was in politics must lead by example and adopt high standards.
“Although it was her husband and not herself who had been arraigned, b I felt that her position was untenable as there could be no shadow cast on her,” he said. Dr Busuttil saluted Mrs Debono for her long service for the party and the country.
On the other hand, he said, the Prime Minister rewarded people such as Cyrus Engerer, who was given a two-year suspended sentence, with a job in Brussels at an annual salary of €85,000.
He also spoke about the decision to grant Maltese nationality to former minister Manuel Mallia's wife and asked how the former minister still formed part of Labour's parliamentary group when he was involved in such blatant conflict of interest.
“It seems that Joseph Muscat only expects high standard from the Opposition,” he said.
As for outgoing Nationalist general secretary Chris Said he said the party could not afford to have its only Gozitan MP contesting the next general election away from Gozo because he was full-time general secretary.
Consequently it was felt that it would be better for Dr Said to relinquish his position in the party and focus on the sister island where the party’s support was in decline, Dr Busuttil said.