The Nationalist Party this morning denied the prime minister’s claim that Opposition leader Simon Busuttil had made ‘an unprecedented attack on the judiciary’.
Referring to Dr Muscat’s comments yesterday, the PN observed that the Board of Inquiry into the shooting by the driver of Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia is actually composed of former, not serving judges and they enjoyed no guarantees of independence in the work they did.
One of them, Philip Sciberras, had even returned to practice as a lawyer in court and had been appointed to various government boards.
So how could Dr Muscat be believed when he claimed that this former judge was independent?
It was Dr Muscat who had undermined the independence of the judiciary by allowing a judge to get off the hook despite facing claims of irregularities.
Rather than make unfounded attacks, it would be better for the prime minister to tell the people what role the Office of the Prime Minister had in the issue of the official statement on the shooting incident.
What was the involvement of Kurt Farrugia, the PM’s communications chief?
Why had the scene of the crime been tampered with?
What was the involvement of the of the Acting Commissioner of Police and who did he speak with immediately after the incident?