The whistleblower who testified in the Gozo works-for-votes scandal was “a self-confessed crook” and should have his privileges revoked for lying under oath, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said yesterday.
Describing contractor Joseph Cauchi’s testimony as “sheer nonsense”, Dr Busuttil filed a judicial protest against him, claiming he had lied under oath and ought to have his whistleblower privileges withdrawn.
Mr Cauchi testified on Tuesday in the compilation of evidence against Anthony Debono, husband of former Gozo minister Giovanna Debono. During his testimony, Mr Cauchi said Dr Busuttil had questioned why he had accepted the jobs from the Gozo Ministry if he knew that the Nationalist Party would not be re-elected.
“His protection as a so-called whistleblower hinges on his slander against the PN and myself as party leader,” Dr Busuttil said in a strongly-worded statement accompanying the protest he filed in the Gozo court.
“The more he lies about us, the more likely he is to get paid for illegal works he admits to having performed,” he added.
In his protest, Dr Busuttil called on Mr Cauchi to withdraw the statement and correct his evidence, and reserved the right to take further action.
He accused Justice Minister Owen Bonnici of abetting Mr Cauchi and of “shamefully” making use of the Whistleblower Act – which was enacted last year – as a “political weapon against his political opponents”.
In reaction, the government accused Dr Busuttil of attacking the first person to benefit from the law for revealing an alleged corruption case.
It said people only qualified for protection after a rigorous process involving the Attorney General, the police and the courts, which together decided whether to grant protection.
“Dr Busuttil’s attack is not just a direct attack on a person or a political matter but an attack on the institutions and can dissuade people from coming forward to uncover corruption,” the government said.
Dr Busuttil said Mr Cauchi had asked to meet him soon after he was elected PN leader in May 2013 and, during the meeting, he had complained he was still owed money by the Gozo Ministry and was concerned he would not be paid due to the change in government.
Dr Busuttil said he replied there was no reason why financial commitments should not be honoured simply because of a change in government. He insisted no mention was made of any works for votes allegations and neither of works carried out for private individuals.
“Had this been the case, it stands to reason that I would have replied that no public money could be claimed for works performed on private property, because this would amount to misuse of public funds,” Dr Busuttil said.
Dr Busuttil said he left it to people to choose whether to believe him or “a self-confessed crook who wanted his pound of flesh because he realised he would not get paid for shady dealings”.
Addressing a press conference in reaction to the evidence given, Labour deputy leader Toni Abela said the party was worried about what the whistleblower said he had been told by Dr Busuttil.
The message was that the racket would have continued had the Nationalist Party been re-elected, Dr Abela said.