Finance Minister Edward Scicluna and Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia this evening categorically denied having ever interfered in any police investigations.
On the other hand, Energy Minister Joe Mizzi went on a long rant, in which he referred to threats made against him in the past, but refused to give a straight answer.
Ministers are being asked the same question by the Opposition after sacked FIAU official Jonathan Ferris allegad in an interview that there was direct Ministerial interference in police investigations. He also claimed that resource starvation had taken place in investigations into crimes committed by high profile people in Maltese politics.
Ferris is suing the FIAU over unfair dismissal. He claims he was sacked because he was getting close to the truth on the Panama Papers investigations.
When quizzed by Beppe Fenech Adami, as to whether he had ever intervened in any police investigations according to the claims made by Ferris, Joe Mizzi went into a loud rant about occasions in the past where he and his family had been threatened by a former policeman who was found guilty but who was not removed by the Nationalist administration.
He also said he had been assaulted and needed an armed police escort, adding that his family had also lived in fear. "None of you condemned those actions," he said, pointing to the Opposition benches.
Mizzi continued to charge through a number of times he claimed the opposition had tried to ridicule him for speaking up against corruption.
"You are trying to insinuate this but you don't have evidence," he told Fenech Adami. "You are doing this to tarnish people's reputations," he stated, when asked again whether he had ever intervened in police investigations.
Ryan Callus retorted back asking, if the Minister had nothing to hide, why could he not categorically say yes or no to the question.
"You tried ridicule me and I brought evidence in this parliament and they were found guilty. You all act like you are saints," Mizzi responded.
Callus then said he would be taking the minister's reply as a yes (for interference) since Mizzi was not denying the claim.
from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/2ilxGeQ
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