Former chief justice Joseph Said Pullicino has branded the Prime Minister’s remarks on a magistrate “inappropriate” and said members of the judiciary should be allowed to work in complete serenity.

Dr Said Pullicino was contacted by the Times of Malta yesterday for his reaction to controversial remarks made by Joseph Muscat on the ongoing inquiry led by Magistrate Aaron Bugeja. The latter is looking into allegations that the Prime Minister’s wife, Michelle, held a secret company in Panama.

Ms Muscat denies the claim.

In a televised interview broadcast on PBS on Thursday, Dr Muscat was asked about the possibility of losing the forthcoming election only to be absolved by the magistrate later, once the inquiry was concluded.

Dr Muscat insisted that Magistrate Bugeja would have to shoulder responsibility, adding that it would be Dr Bugeja’s “problem”.

“What could I do then? I would not be able to turn back the clock after having retired from politics. That would not be my problem,” the Prime Minister said.

His remarks immediately fuelled criticism not only on the political front but also in legal and business circles.

This newspaper sought the reaction of Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri and asked him whether he subscribed to the concerns about the Prime Minister’s remarks.

In a terse reply, Dr Camilleri said he was confident Magistrate Bugeja would perform his duties “without fear or favour”.

However, one of his predecessors, Dr Said Pullicino, who also served as Parliamentary Ombudsman for 11 years, gave a more detailed assessment of the issue.

Saying a magistrate has to shoulder responsibility for the time taken to conclude an inquiry is a form of undue pressure

“Members of the judiciary must be allowed to carry out their duty in complete serenity, and any attempt to pile pressure to speed up investigations rather than let them take their time is unacceptable,” Dr Said Pullicino said.

The former chief justice warned that politicians ought to be very careful not to drag members of the judiciary into heated political debates.

He added that magistrates should neither be praised nor criticised for their work, pointing out that the time taken for an inquiry depended solely only on the magistrate’s discretion, regardless of the prevailing political climate.

“Saying that a magistrate would have to shoulder responsibility for the time taken to conclude an inquiry is a form of undue pressure and an inappropriate comment,” Dr Said Pullicino said.

His remarks were echoed by lawyer Joe Giglio, who described the Prime Minister’s comments as causing “unwarranted” pressure on Magistrate Bugeja.

Dr Giglio recalled a similar incident which happened on the eve of the 2013 general election that concerned comments made by the then Labour deputy leader Anġlu Farrugia on a court case.

“Dr Muscat had decided that Dr Farrugia was no longer fit to stand for election. This time around, however, Dr Muscat’s comments are on a pending investigation concerning himself,” Dr Giglio said.

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Advocates yesterday accused the Prime Minister of making “inappropriate pressure” on Magistrate Bugeja, saying this went beyond all prudence and responsibility.

It said it was the Prime Minister himself who had set the inquiry in motion and it was he who had called a general election in the shortest time allowed by the Constitution, as was his prerogative.

Former PL deputy leader Anġlu Farrugia (pictured) was shown the door for similar comments, Dr Giglio said.Former PL deputy leader Anġlu Farrugia (pictured) was shown the door for similar comments, Dr Giglio said.

While remarking that Magistrate Bugeja was dedicating all his time to the inquiry, the Chamber said that it was not up to the Prime Minister to determine the timing of its conclusion.

In other developments, the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry stressed the importance of a level playing field for the business community, saying that the rule of law was not an option but a must.

It said the current situation had to be addressed with urgency to restore Malta’s reputation and credibility.

On the political front, Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil lashed out at the Prime Minister, saying his remarks threatened the independence of the judiciary. He warned that in the past four years, Dr Muscat had already dented the judiciary’s independence through controversial appointments to the bench.

“How can I appear before someone who spent a long time calling me names and expect him to be independent?” Dr Busuttil asked, with reference to the appointment of the former Labour Party deputy leader Toni Abela as a judge.

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