Konrad Mizzi had to fend off strong criticism about his Panama company as he sparred with Beppe Fenech Adami and Carmel Cacopardo tonight on TimesTalk tonight.
The energy minister admitted, as he did in Parliament on Monday, that the Panama company was “an error of judgement” and, he said, he would repay the public by working “even harder” for their benefit.
However, this was immediately shot down by Dr Fenech Adami who described the minister's decision to opt for a company in Panama as “a calculated risk” that blew up in his face.
While Dr Mizzi insisted he opted for full disclosure and pledged to close the Panama company, Dr Fenech Adami kept repeating that nobody believed the minister.
MIZZI DID NOT OFFER RESIGNATION
It transpired that Dr Mizzi did not offer his resignation even though the Panama affair had overshadowed government’s achievements over the past three years. The minister kept saying that he would stay on for as long as he had Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s support.
Setting up a company in Panama was an error of judgement and I will make up for the mistake by working even harder for the benefit of the people- Konrad Mizzi
“Setting up a company in Panama was an error of judgement and I will make up for the mistake by working even harder for the benefit of the people,” he said, reiterating the pledge to close the company after the Tax Commissioner completed his audit.
AD's Carmel Cacopardo said the only way to rectify the mistake was for Dr Mizzi to resign because the whole affair had cast a shadow on the government.
Dr Fenech Adami insisted that the minister’s justification to set up the company was unbelievable.
You were caught… nobody is believing you minister,”- Beppe Fenech Adami
“You were caught… nobody is believing you minister,” Dr Fenech Adami said.
Dr Mizzi retorted by challenging the PN deputy to ask for a tax audit on his bank deposits that total €1 million.
But the discussion almost descended into a farce at one point when Dr Mizzi kept asking Dr Fenech Adami to read the transcript of Opposition leader Simon Busuttil’s parliamentary speech last week in which he implied wrongdoing. The minister has been challenging the Opposition leader to repeat the words outside Parliament.
Eventually, after a tit-for-tat, Dr Fenech Adami read out excerpts from the transcript, which prompted the minister to say he will be instituting libel proceedings against him.