Updated: Tampering of files is proof of corruption – Nationalist Party

The tampering of files in the Lands Department on public land given to Gaffarena confirms the corruption that took place on the Old Mint Street property, Nationalist Party spokesman Ryan Callus said. Apart from this, this tampering is testimony to the procrastination on the issue which led to the possibility of a cover-up.

The Auditor General, Mr Callus said, refers to tampering of files several times in his report. It speaks of references to minutes that do not apply and others which were renumbered. It found minutes dated 31 July that could not have been written before a correspondence that took place on 21 August.

Mr Callus also mentioned other instances within the NAO report, one of which, he said, was that certain minutes were renumbered.

He condemned Prime Minister Joseph Muscat for taking so long to gather the GPD files, thus dragging his feet, stating that this should have been done by the police nine months ago, when the first allegations were made. Taking so long, he said, could have resulted in a cover up.

"All of this was a cover-up for corruption".

Mark Anthony Sammut, a PN Candidate for the General Elections, stressed that if the Prime Minister truly wanted to fight this case, he would have filed for an injunction immediately, not wait nine months.

"When a mistake occurs, one tries to correct it. This was pre-meditated tampering of evidence".

Asked whether former Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon should resign from Parliament, Mr Sammut said that he should not only resign from Parliament, but "the Prime Minister should also resign. If We are a democratic society and are like the European Union, then he should feel embarrassed in front of people".

When asked if PN MP Jason Azzopardi should resign over the cases mentioned within the Internal Audit and Investigation Department Report, Mr Callus stated that this was a diversionary tactic by government and that PN MP Azzopardi's resignation was not necessary. He said the situations were different. He stressed that when questions arose about former PN MP Joe Cassar's ethics, he had immediately resigned.

Back and forth questions and answers between ONE journalist Janice Bartolo and Mr Sammut on this issue ensued, with Mr Sammut eventually telling her to go home and ask the Justice Minister whether the Prime Minister filing a court case against himself made sense.

 

from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/1Tl7kT2
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