[attach id=265131 size="medium"]Opposition spokesman for justice Beppe Fenech Adami. Photo: Jason Borg[/attach]
Legislation enacted by Nationalist Governments to ensure transparency and accountability were listed in Parliament yesterday by the Opposition spokesman for justice, Beppe Fenech Adami.
These, he said, included the Office of the Ombudsman, the Auditor General and the Permanent Commission against Corruption.
Speaking during the debate on the Protection of the Whistleblower Bill, Dr Fenech Adami said the Nationalist Party had provided the tools to ensure the accountability of those occupying public offices, such as the Public Accounts Committee, which was presided over by a member of the Opposition.
The PN government had also set up the Administrative Review Tribunal, which evaluated unjust administrative decisions.
It had also introduced the Freedom of Information Act, through which the public had access to practically all documents possessed by the government.
These include the Public Accounts Committee, the Administrative Review Tribunal, the Freedom of Information Act and the Money Laundering Act
It enacted the Money Laundering Act, which allowed the freezing and confiscation of assets generated through illegal activities.
Dr Fenech Adami said PN governments had never tolerated corruption and would vote in favour of the Bill, which would fight corruption and abuse of power.
He said that people who had illegal buildings were promised that the structures would be sanctioned if the Labour Party was elected to government.
He had no doubt that the revision of local plans was part of the government’s plans to keep its electoral promises. This was an abuse of power, he said.
Admitting that there were cases that shocked the country, such as those of the justice sector and the “oil scandal”, Dr Fenech Adami said there were the necessary structures in place to address such situations and those who participated in such cases were punished accordingly.
He warned the Government not to politicise the Security Service, which was the main body that solved the most serious cases of organised crime.
While the PL in Opposition did not confirm its agreement with regard to the Whistleblower Act as presented by the PN government, it now presented an identical Bill.
One should distinguish between the big fish and the small fry. One should avoid a situation where the big fish disclosed information and the small fry ended up in prison.
One should not send the message that an accomplice who then disclosed information would be given automatic protection, Dr Fenech Adami said.