Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi is refusing to elaborate on the future of disciplined MPs Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Franco Debono with regard to their official government positions.
Dr Pullicino Orlando, who has resigned from the Nationalist Party to become an independent MP in Parliament, is chairman of the Malta Council for Science and Technology – a government advisory body.
Dr Debono, who together with Dr Pullicino Orlando was crossed off the list of PN candidates for disobeying the party whip, continues to be paid as parliamentary assistant within the Office of the Prime Minister.
Asked whether these two MPs will retain their government appointments despite their souring relationship with the party in government, the Office of the Prime Minister adamantly refused to answer questions.
“You will not be getting replies,” an OPM spokesman told The Times, nearly two weeks after questions were sent.
Meanwhile, Dr Gonzi has also refused to comment about the recent revelations regarding the 2008 Mistra scandal, where then-Labour leader Alfred Sant alleged corruption in Dr Pullicino Orlando’s regard.
In recent weeks, two chief PN campaigners gave crucial insights into the way the Mistra saga was handled, indicating that Dr Sant was on the money while Dr Pullicino Orlando downplayed the truth, even with the PN.
Richard Cachia Caruana recalled in a recent interview with The Sunday Times how he had told his family on the last day of the campaign not to vote for Dr Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.
“I regret to say Alfred Sant probably summed him up correctly,” he said, as he recalled the contract Dr Sant produced on the last day outlining how Dr Pullicino Orlando’s field in Mistra would be transformed into a discotheque.
“Until then Dr Pullicino Orlando had always maintained there was no contract,” Mr Cachia Caruana said.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s spokesman Gordon Pisani recently revealed the contents of two conversations he held with Dr Pullicino Orlando on the last day of the campaign, where he confronted him about the contract. Asked whether the contract was worth hundreds or thousands, Dr Pullicino Orlando replied by saying: “Isn’t it better if you don’t know?” Later he admitted to “big amounts” and said he was feeling “ill”.
Asked by The Times for the Prime Minister’s comment about the revelations by Mr Cachia Caruana and Mr Pisani, following four years of silence about the Mistra saga, a PN spokesman said: “There is nothing more to add to what has been stated about this issue.”
Dr Gonzi was asked whether he regretted defending Dr Pullicino Orlando during the campaign and whether Dr Sant was right or just throwing mud, as he had originally been accused of doing.