Labour Whip Joe Mizzi has refused to disclose the name of the yacht he had given to the police for a drug investigation in 1998 that came to nothing.
Mr Mizzi had claimed the yacht would host a cocaine party and aboard were friends of Malta’s former envoy to the EU, Richard Cachia Caruana.
An investigation was carried out but the search was done on the wrong boat, Mr Mizzi said without revealing the name of the right one.
In an explanation to the Police Commissioner John Rizzo, published this week, Assistant Commissioner Michael Cassar, who at the time headed the drug squad, said his people were told the party would take place on the Karwela, which was berthed at The Strand, but two searches had yielded no results.
Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando brought up the Labour whip’s claims in his evidence to expel Mr Cachia Caruana from the PN, saying Mr Mizzi implicated him “in a clear case of criminal interference with the course of justice”.
Mr Cachia Caruana dismissed the claim as “invented” as he sued Mr Mizzi for criminal libel.
At the time of the incident, Mr Mizzi was a minister without a portfolio but responsible for the police.
According to Mr Cassar, then Police Commissioner George Grech told him a party was going to be held on board the Karwela, which was berthed at the Strand in Sliema, where cocaine would be used.
“He did not mention any particular persons, neither by name nor by profession,” Mr Cassar said in his published explanation.
He informed the Drug Squad but received a “negative outcome”.
A few days later, Mr Mizzi told Mr Cassar it was impossible that no drugs had been found.
“I informed him that I had full faith in my personnel and that I was absolutely certain they had carried out their duties correctly. He told me that we did do our duties correctly but it was not the information he passed on,” said Mr Cassar.
In 2001, Mr Grech had asked Mr Cassar for an explanation on the case, since Mr Mizzi had mentioned it in Parliament.
Mr Cassar said the files show the investigation was carried out on July 17, 1998, and the police went on site at 5.45 p.m. and again at 8.30 p.m. but found no indications that a party was going to be held.
“On our end, we surely did our utmost and I, or my personnel, never took notice of colour, race, religion, status or whatever of any person and our work was always done scrupulously regarding everyone, as my track record shows,” Mr Cassar said.
He added that whenever Mr Mizzi spoke about this issue, “even personally during some social event, such as the village feast”, he said the Drug Squad had been given the name of the wrong vessel.
However, contacted yesterday to see if Mr Mizzi had reported the Karwela, the Labour whip said: “I have nothing to add to what I already said. Obviously in court I will also say what I have to say.”