Former Nationalist leader Simon Busuttil vowed to fight on after the Attorney General appealed a Constitutional Court judgment to remove Mr Justice Antonio Mizzi from a Panama Papers inquiry.
“The lengths to which they are going to pervert justice is dangerous,” Dr Busuttil said through a tweet, in reaction to the appeal.
I have just been informed that the AG has appealed the Constitutional Court judgment to remove Judge Antonio Mizzi from #PanamaPapers inquiry. Incredible but true. The lengths to which they are going to pervert justice is dangerous. But I will fight on and I know I’m not alone. pic.twitter.com/HqqkFSbaFg
— Simon Busuttil (@SimonBusuttil) July 26, 2018
Dr Busuttil made a request for a case involving the Panama Papers not to be heard by Mr Justice Antonio Mizzi because of a conflict of interest that could arise since his wife is Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi.
In a constitutional application, Dr Busuttil claimed his right to a fair hearing was being violated through Mr Justice Mizzi’s decision not to abstain from presiding over appeals relating to the Panama Papers issue.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, his chief of staff Keith Schembri and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi, together with businessmen Brian Tonna, Karl Cini, Malcolm Scerri and Adrian Hillman had each filed separate appeals against a magisterial decision to green light an inquiry in their regard.
The court upheld Dr Busuttil’s request last month.
The court said in its decision that the fact that the judge was married to an MEP, on its own, did not put the judge's impartiality in doubt. However, when coupled with the comments made by Ms Mizzi on the Panama Papers, it gave rise to serious doubt about justice being seen to be done.
The former Opposition leader however pledged to “fight on,” adding that he knew he “was not alone”.