Nationalist MPs who recently came to the defence of embattled former leader Simon Busuttil, are saying that any criminal action against party media chief Pierre Portelli in connection with the Egrant inquiry would constitute a “frame-up”.
The claim was made in a Facebook post uploaded yesterday in reaction to remarks by an Office of the Prime Minister spokesman who said proceedings against individuals behind the Egrant allegations could be possible. The spokesman was replying to questions from Times of Malta.
Read: ‘Possible proceedings’ against individuals behind Egrant allegations
Headed by Magistrate Aaron Bugeja, the inquiry concluded there was no evidence that the Prime Minister’s wife Michelle Muscat was the owner of secret Panama company Egrant.
The allegation had been made by slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in April last year and featured prominently in the PN’s election campaign.
While by the time of writing no names had been yet divulged of who would be facing action, the description given by the OPM spokesman fuelled speculation that Mr Portelli could be among them.
A huge mistake and a parody of justice system
The PN media chief got dragged into this controversy as at the time – when he was director business and content at The Malta Independent – he had presented “evidence” in the form of copies of an alleged declaration of trust, to the inquiring magistrate.
Last November, Mr Portelli left this post and joined the Nationalist Party as CEO of its media company as part of a reshuffle following Dr Delia’s election as leader.
His involvement in this controversy was back under the spotlight on Sunday when a 49-page document containing the main conclusions of the Egrant inquiry was published. However, the full report which spans over 1,500 pages has not yet been released. From these conclusions it transpired the signatures on the documents submitted by Mr Portelli were false, and consequently were deemed as forged.
Read: Egrant inquiry finds falsified signatures, differing testimonies and no proof
Moreover, the inquiry concluded that Mr Portelli's account contradicted that given by former Pilatus Bank employee Maria Efimova on a number of counts.
For a journalist who did his job to be prosecuted, is truly a travesty of justice straight out of a dictatorship.
— Simon Busuttil (@SimonBusuttil) July 28, 2018
If we want to live in a democracy, we cannot let these things pass.
My full solidarity with @pierreportelli https://t.co/5lXkeIxLY9
Though no announcement has been made yet that the PN media chief could face prosecution, at least six PN MPs and a former party official sought to pre-empt this possibility, through a Facebook post.
These were Karol Aquilina, Jason Azzopardi, Claudette Buttigieg, Therese Comodini Cachia, Beppe Fenech Adami, Karl Gouder and Alex Perici Calascione. Former MEP candidate Norman Vella also gave his support to Mr Portelli.
They claimed that any criminal action against Mr Portelli would constitute a “frame-up”. Such action would not only be a “huge injustice” but would also make “a parody of the justice system” the likes of which only dictators were able to do, they said. The MPs came to the defence of Mr Portelli saying he had been carrying out his journalistic duties and put himself available to the inquiring magistrate, while exposing himself and his family to danger.
The post contained the slogan “#notinmyname #strongertogether” which was coined last Monday by the same group of members of Parliament who publicly expressed themselves against the party’s decision to suspend Dr Busuttil.