Partit Demokratiku on Saturday expressed grave concern at the recent, well-documented revelations of extensive, institutionalised corruption involving people at the highest levels of government “on a colossal, horrifying and appalling scale”.
In a statement, it said the Police Commissioner’s apparent lack of action was just as worrying.
The Commissioner, PD said, was obliged by the Constitution to prevent the commission of offences, to promote and enforce observance of all laws without exception, to apply the law without any discrimination of any sort, and to perform honestly and effectively all those duties assigned to him by the Police Act or by any other law.
The PM’s ludicrous justification for refusing to comment on these revelations was that he did not want to prejudice ongoing related magisterial inquiries.
Magisterial inquiries, PD said, were not courts of law.
An inquiry did not establish guilt or innocence but merely examined available evidence on the basis of which it was decided if criminal action needed to be taken and against whom.
The Prime Minister seemed to believe that the stories being exposed by the Daphne Project and other media houses were rehashed old stories.
“They are not. They provide further detail and documentation on the ‘old’ stories brought to the public’s attention by the free media,” PD said adding it was grateful for the sterling, invaluable and essential work of independent journalists in the service of democracy and rule of law.
It demanded that the public be informed whether investigation by the police and other relevant authorities had been initiated in regard of:
* The discrepancy between Minister Konrad Mizzi’s claim that the account related to his offshore company contained €92, and the FIAU report claiming he had €9,200 in the account.
* The Australian Financial Review’s report that Dr Mizzi instructed New Zealand accountants to backdate documents after the Panama Papers exposed his offshore interests in 2016.
* The contradiction between Dr Mizzi’s statement to MEPs that Nexia BT had no remit to open bank accounts on his company’s behalf and the FIAU’s confirmation that Dr Mizzi had granted Nexia BT’s partners Brian Tonna and Karl Cini power of attorney over his trust and company.
* The leaked document showing the email Mr Cini had sent Mossack Fonseca stating that 17 Black and another Dubai company called Macbridge would transfer €150,000 a month to Dr Mizzi's and the PM’s chief of staff Keith Schembri's companies.
* The “damning” report by the FIAU that concluded investigations should start against Dr Mizzi, finalised since at least March this year according to MEP David Casa.
* The role of Nexia BT in all this, and several other suspicious transactions as well as Brian Tonna’s breach of the independence rules in the Accountancy Profession Act when Mr Tonna accepted a loan from Mr Schembri, when his firm acts as auditor of the Kasco group of companies.