Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1503864
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 JULY 2023 8 INTERVIEW Raphael Vassallo rvassallo@mediatoday.com.mt 'Cowboys', 'untouchables', and the In the build-up to Wednesday's Parliamentary vote, the Na- tionalist Party had been rais- ing questions like: 'What does Prime Minister have to hide?'; 'What is Robert Abela so afraid of?', etc. How would you an- swer to those questions, your- self? What do you think the Prime Minister is trying to hide, with his refusal to hold a public inquiry into Jean Paul Sofia's death? Allow me to take a step back, before answering, for the sake of context. This case takes us back to Saturday 3 December of last year; and you could almost say that it was more or less 'unique'. Not because we've never had accidents at the workplace, be- fore – on the contrary, we've had many: especially, in the construction sector. But what makes this case so unique, is that we are talking about a building that collapsed, on government land, in the space of around two seconds... leaving a person buried under three storeys of rubble; and an- other four workers who were rescued alive, but with serious injuries. In other words, it could have been much worse than it actu- ally was... which was, of course, bad enough anyway. But let's face it: we could just as easily be talking about five deaths, today, instead of one... As far as I can see, this already makes this case rather unique: even in terms of how it factual- ly unfolded. But when you also look at the circumstances sur- rounding this tragedy: how a mother lost her only son... and how this incredibly brave wom- an, Isabel – together with the father, John – were reduced to having to practically beg for jus- tice, in tears, to no avail... This is, in fact, what I admire most about Isabel: that, despite all her grief, all the obstacles that she found in her path... she still remains focused, not only on demanding justice for her own son; but also, to ensure that – thanks to the recommen- dations that may emerge, from a public inquiry – similar trage- dies do not recur in future... Sorry to interrupt, but the background details are already widely known. What I'm asking you for, is your own interpreta- tion of why the government is so reluctant to hold a public inquiry... Well, the context IS impor- tant: even so that readers un- derstand exactly what we are talking about. But to answer you more directly: logic dictates that – if you have nothing to be afraid of; if you have nothing to hide; if you have nobody to 'cover up for' – you should have no problem opening a public in- quiry. Not just to accede to the griev- ing parents' demands; but also, to look into the political and ad- ministrative factors which may have contributed to the trage- dy... with a view to eventually drawing up recommendations, on a broader level, so as to to prevent such accidents from happening again. Because as you know, a public inquiry goes into a number of aspects, that are not necessar- ily considered in a magisterial inquiry... I'm not so sure about that, ac- tually. You're talking about 'public inquiries' as though they are a standard feature of Malta's public administration. But they're not. There has only ever been one, in recent years– the public inquiry into Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder – and it was set up entirely on an 'ad hoc' basis. There are, in fact, no regulations governing how (or even when) such inquiries are to be conducted... That doesn't mean they shouldn't happen at all, though.. No: but it does suggest that you are turning the 'exception', in- to the 'rule'... But that's the whole point, right there! There have been so many accidents, in the con- struction sector; and so many people have died – Maltese, and foreigners; under different circumstances – that it it is sur- real, how the government still refuses to open a public inquiry, in spite of everything. In fact, one of the arguments raised by Isabel Bonnici – and which also arises logically, from the facts of the case – is that: had there been a public inquiry following the death of Miriam Pace [in 2020], it might have been possible to learn from the conclusions of that inquiry; and maybe this latest tragedy might have been avoided, to begin with. This is why it is so important to hold a public inquiry today: now, and not later. Because, if the Prime Minister wasn't so hard-headed – and hard-heart- ed – that, for whatever reason, he doesn't want to hold one... it is clear that he is trying to cover up for someone. That only brings us back to my original question. Who do you think Robert Abela is trying to protect? Obviously, I am not the type to speculate. I prefer basing myself on facts; on experience; and on logic. And all three of those things tell me that, if the Prime Minister has spent all these months, obstinately resisting calls for a public in- quiry – when practically all the people of Malta and Gozo, are united against him: all those civil society organisations, such as Graffitti, Repubblika, The Christian Workers' Movement, etc.... and even former Labour Ministers such as Evarist Bar- tolo: who not only criticised his own former government; but he even reminded Robert Abe- la that (words to the effect of): 'The Labour Party was found- ed, more than 100 years ago, to protect the rights and safety of workers..." When you have all those peo- ple, publicly urging the PM to hold a public inquiry; and yet, he still continues to stubborn- ly refuse, at all costs.... under those circumstances, I have no hesitation is saying that is 'cov- ering up for someone'l that he's 'got something to hide'. And I'm saying that clearly, and un- equivocally... And yet, we are still no closer to identifying the individuals concerned. So let me be more specific. We already know the names of the businessmen who were awarded the con- cession; as well as the archi- tect; the contractors, and so Opposition spokesman for finance JEROME CARUANA CILIA argues that, by refusing to heed calls for a public inquiry into Jean-Paul Sofia's death, Prime Minister Robert Abela is creating a climate of fear