(Adds government statement)

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil has filed a judicial protest claiming that the whistleblower in the alleged 'work for votes' scandal in Gozo lied when testifying in court yesterday.

Referring to testimony by Joseph Cauchi in the compilation of evidence against former minister Giovanna Debono's husband Anthony, Dr Busuttil said it was "sheer nonsense" that he had told Mr Cauchi that the contractor should not have accepted any jobs from the Gozo Ministry because the PN was not expected to be re-elected. 

He called on Mr Cauchi to withdraw the statement and correct his evidence and reserved the right to take further action.

In a statement, Dr Busuttil said Mr Cauchi asked to see him soon after he was elected to the PN leadership in May 2013.

During this meeting, held in June that year, Mr Cauchi had complained he was still owed  money by the Gozo Ministry and was concerned he would not be paid due to the change in government.

Dr Busuttil said he told him there was no reason why financial commitments should not be honoured simply because of a change in government.

He said that during the meeting there was no mention whatsoever of any ‘works for votes’ allegations, nor of works carried out for private individuals or anything about fake invoices.

"Had this been the case, it stands to reason that I would have replied that no public money could be claimed for works performed on private property because this would amount to misuse of public funds," the Opposition leader said.

Dr Busuttil said that Mr Cauchi’s protection as a whistleblower hinged on his slander against the Nationalist Party and the party leader.

"The more he lies about us the more likely he is to get paid for illegal works he admits to have performed. In this he is being aided and abetted by a Justice Minister who is shamefully using the law as a political weapon against his political opponents.

"This is also making a mockery of the whistleblower protection which has been given to someone who by his own admission conducted irregular works and sought undue payment for them and who now has a vested financial gain in the claims he is making. This is not the way whistleblower protection should work in a democracy," Dr Busuttil said.

Dr Busuttil said he left it to the public to choose who to believe, whether it was himself, who met Mr Cauchi upon his request in June 2013, or Mr Cauchi, a self-confessed crook who wanted his pound of flesh because he realised he would not get paid for shady dealings.

"The truth is that if there was anyone who knew about these allegations and kept them quiet it was Joseph Muscat and Anton Refalo

"Joseph Muscat certainly knew because it is clear that the Labour Party disclosed these allegations to the media on the eve of the local elections campaign in what is now a pattern that we all have become used to.

"Anton Refalo had known since last summer at the latest. Neither Dr Muscat nor Dr Refalo explained why they kept this information to themselves and used it when it suited them rather than report it to the police immediately," Dr Busuttil said.

OPPOSITION LEADER'S ATTACK 'A MOST GRIEVOUS ACT' - GOVERNMENT

In a statement, the government said the whistleblower qualified for protection following a rigorous process involving the Attorney General, the police and the Courts, which decided whether or not the person involved deserved such protection.

So the Opposition leader’s attack was not just on this person or on a political matter, but it was an attack on the institutions and could put off other people from uncovering corruption.

This was a most grievous act, it said.

LABOUR CONCERNED

In a press conference earlier, Labour Party deputy leader Toni Abela said the the PL was concerned about what the whistleblower said he had been told by Dr Busuttil.

In making such a statement, he said, the Opposition Leader sent out a message that the racket would have continued if the Nationalist Party been reelected to government.

Dr Abela said the whistleblower had been consistent, contrary to the Opposition leader. 

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