Suspending Nationalist MP Toni Bezzina from the party is “not warranted”, according to PN leader Simon Busuttil.

The PN MP lost two libel cases last week on stories that hinged on his actions as a government employee in 2012. Dr Busuttil, who has made it his mantra to champion high standards in public life, has come to the MP’s defence.

Asked whether his defence of Mr Bezzina compromised the credibility of his rallying call, Dr Busuttil insisted things had to be done “with a sense of proportion”.

Toni Bezzina

“One cannot, for instance, compare the Toni Bezzina case to the ongoing scandals involving [Minister without Portfolio] Konrad Mizzi, [the Prime Minister’s chief of staff] Keith Schembri and now [Central Bank of Malta deputy governor] Alfred Mifsud; they are incomparable,” Dr Busuttil said.

Suspension from the party is not warranted

The stories alleged that Mr Bezzina ordered his underlings at the Works Department to carry out maintenance jobs at the Żurrieq PN club. He then forced them to sign a declaration that the works were done on a voluntary basis. Subsequently, the employees changed their declaration and signed a second one at Labour headquarters. Mr Bezzina suedL-Orizzont and the Labour newspaper Kullħadd over the stories of alleged wrongdoing on his part.

The libel cases were decided last week by Magistrate Francesco Depasquale, who threw out Mr Bezzina’s version of events. He was elected an MP for the first time in the last election and the court’s decision in the two libel cases is being viewed as an indictment of his actions as a public officer.

Dr Busuttil seemed unperturbed by the court ruling, noting that a 2012 departmental inquiry had exonerated Mr Bezzina from wrongdoing. He also said the libel cases were still subject to appeal.

“The case happened and was in the public domain before [Mr Bezzina] was elected to Parliament,” Dr Busuttil added by way of justification.

However, the PN leader also tried turning the tables on the Labour Party, insisting the libel proceedings “ominously revealed undue political influence”, since the workers changed their written statement at Labour headquarters.

“This calls for an explanation by the Labour leader,” Dr Busuttil said, adding that the Labour Party media attempted political intimidation when journalists tried to film Mr Bezzina at his government workplace last week.

“Taking all the above factors into account, my position is that a suspension from the party is not warranted,” Dr Busuttil insisted.

kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com