Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1198140
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 8 JANUARY 2020 3 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Rizzo said he had been prom- ised a post in the Security Ser- vice by the Prime Minister. But at a meeting in Castille with Keith Schembri, the for- mer chief of staff told him that he was needed in the civil pro- tection not the security servic- es as Muscat had wanted. "I told him this was unac- ceptable. He offered me a higher pay but I refused be- cause money isn't everything. I started working at the CPD and spent four years there and left... As a public servant, I was sent to the civil protection de- partment and that is what I did. I was surprised with the move after 40 years in the po- lice force, but I did my duty. I had met the prime minister briefly before the change," Riz- zo recalled. Also testifying yesterday was Speaker Anglu Farrugia, who was aksed about comments he gave in early 2013 after resign- ing from the Labour Party. At the time, Farrugia described his forced exit as "political murder" and expressed con- cern over Joseph Muscat's closeness to contractors and businesspeople. He had said secretive meetings were held on the fourth floor of Labour Party HQ. Farrugia told the inquiry that he stood by all he had said, mentioning Malta Developers' Association President Sandro Chetcuti as one of the people helping the party at the time. Farrugia said he never saw Yorgen Fenech at Labour HQ and refrained from mention- ing any names. However, he said that he had no access to the fourth floor despite being deputy leader at the time. Farrugia said Keith Schembri had access to the fourth floor. "I wasn't Muscat's favourite," Farrugia said, adding that he had not campaigned for Mus- cat during the leadership race. The public inquiryis look- ing into, among other things, whether the State did enough to prevent the murder and protect the journalist. In the last sitting, held on 27 December, the Board heard Paul Caruana Galizia testify how Keith Schembri had tried to associate Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder with fuel smuggling by feeding misin- formation to the media despite being privy to investigations. Previous sittings heard Caru- ana Galizia family members describe the harassment they had been subjected too and how, after the 2013 election and following the Panama Pa- pers revelations in 2016, the threats against Caruana Gali- zia had intensified. Former judge Michael Mallia is chairing the inquiry board, while Chief Justice Emeri- tus Joseph Said Pullicino and Judge Abigail Lofaro are the board's other two members. The inquiry's terms of refer- ence stipulate that it must be concluded within nine months. Public inquiry hears Speaker Anglu Farrugia DAVID HUDSON OPPOSITION Leader Adrian Delia filed a formal request at the Police Gen- eral Headquarters in Floriana to investi- gate Nexia BT's Karl Cini At a press conference outside the headquarters, Delia said that, converse- ly, members of the government could do the same with regards to allegations surrounding him but the fact that they weren't doing so proved that they were spinning tales. Delia kept his word when on Sunday he said he was giving the government an ultimatum to request a probe into the Nexia BT partner. The full Egrant report revealed how magistrate Aaron Bugeja had said that Cini ought to be investigated by police for perjury. "Last Sunday, I gave a 48-hour ul- timatum. The government knew the contents of the Egrant report, and I say that all ministers knew, but have failed to act. I filed a formal request today so that all necessary measures are taken," Delia said, adding that people were tired of the government's lies and deceit. When asked why he didn't do the same and ask for an inquiry into accusations surrounding him, Delia said that there was nothing to investigate him on. The late journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia had alleged that Delia was get- ting paid from a Soho prostitution rack- et into his Barclays' International Bank account. Delia denied this was the case. "May I remind you that over two years ago we tabled a motion in Parliament, and the Opposition voted unanimously for such a motion, that an ad hoc inves- tigative framework be set up to investi- gate all of Caruana Galizia's allegations? The government has voted against this," Delia said. He argued that Labour leader con- tender Chris Fearne was using empty rhetoric when he claimed that he would investigate certain individuals, includ- ing himself, because, after all, it was himself who was outside the headquar- ters filing a formal request on Karl Cini. "I told Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar many times that I am here and am not afraid from the truth and won't run away. Since they don't start proce- dures against me, it means that there's nothing to investigate. "I even invited Fearne who has all the tools today to ask the Commissioner to investigate me. He can come here today and do so. Otherwise, he can stop lying and stop attempting to direct our atten- tion elsewhere," Delia said. The PN leader made reference to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's claims that there were other Bvlgari watches besides the one he was gifted by Elec- trogas investor Yorgen Fenech. "Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is do- ing the same thing about the €20,000 watches. He is telling us that the media should ask who else has the watches. Does he know who has them or not? He either has information or he doesn't," Delia said. Adrian Delia files formal request for police to investigate Karl Cini The full Egrant report had revealed how magistrate Aaron Bugeja had said that Nexia BT's Karl Cini should be investigated by police for perjury Speaker Anglu Farrugia PN leader Adrian Delia PN leader Adrian Delia