So Joseph Muscat wants to clean up politics. Really? If he wants us to take him seriously he should practise what he preaches and he should start by cleaning up his own party.

It turns out that Joseph Muscat may well have shot the wrong deputy

Last week, the country was rocked by revelations of a recording of Muscat’s deputy, Toni Abela, admitting that he deliberately chose not to report to the police a drugs-related crime that took place in a Labour Party club. He actually boasted about it as if it were some kind of bravado.

Here is what Abela said verbatim on the incident when someone was caught chopping a ‘white block’ in a PL club: “We caught them in the act”... “I told him God knows what would happen if I were to report the matter to the police. But I had clear, concrete, evidence.”

These are Abela’s words not mine. I am not inventing this and I am not relying on hearsay. I am textually reproducing Abela’s own words.

Abela had, in his own words, clear, concrete evidence but failed to the report the matter to the police.

On his part, Muscat swiftly denied any knowledge of the matter and defended Abela. He added, however, that he himself would have acted otherwise and would have reported the matter to the police. Those are two important statements there.

Muscat denied any knowledge and he stated that he himself would have reported the matter to the police.

But, yesterday, we learnt that Muscat was, in fact, aware of the whole thing since August 2009. Letters were published in which a person wrote to Muscat about the matter on August 7, 2009. And, on August 11, Muscat’s personal assistant sent an acknowledgement stating that Muscat had “received and read” the letter.

A second letter was published, dating back to February 20, 2012, in which the same person wrote a second time to Muscat. Again, this person received an acknowledgement from Muscat, dated February 23, 2012, informing him that the letter had been brought “to the attention” of Muscat.

So Muscat knew about this, three and a half years ago. And not only did he do absolutely nothing about it but he denied any knowledge of it just last week.

This is shocking because it shows that Muscat is not telling the truth and is not acting on the truth.

It is shocking because, far from cleaning up politics, Muscat is sweeping his own party’s dirt under the carpet.

It is shocking because it flies straight into the face of Muscat’s rallying cries of a moderate party, of a party for all, of transparency and of political accountability. Muscat wants to hold others to account, to transparency and to political responsibility but he does not apply the same standards to himself.

And, yes, it also unmasked Muscat’s double standards among his own.

For Muscat sacked his deputy leader, Anġlu Farrugia, because of a reprehensible statement that he made on a magistrate. But then failed to sack his other deputy leader, Abela, for admitting to something infinitely more serious.

It now turns out that Muscat may well have shot the wrong deputy. What does this say about Muscat’s judgement? It says a lot. It says that Muscat’s rallying cries of transparency, good governance and accountability are all empty rhetoric, just hogwash.

Surprised? Don’t be. Muscat is the same person who wanted us to stay out of Europe but now admits that – in hindsight, not in foresight – Europe is good for us.

It is the same person who wanted us to follow the Cypriot model when we now know that Cyprus hit the wall and is asking for a bailout.

It is the same person who wanted us to remain neutral during the Libyan revolution and only took sides when Muammar Gaddafi was deposed and killed.

This story is a chance for the electorate to look through Muscat’s mask.

He says one thing but does another. He throws mud at others but sweeps his own under the carpet. He wants accountability from PN politicians but not from his own ranks. He applies a set of standards for others and a different set for himself.

And now he wants you to trust him to mould your future and that of your family for the next five years.

simon.busuttil@ep.europa.eu

Simon Busuttil is Nationalist Party deputy leader.