Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1520732
3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 15 MAY 2024 NEWS Abela defends Central Bank Governor CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Scicluna was finance minister between 2013 and 2020 before resigning from parliament to be appointed governor of the CBM, a position that allows him to sit on the board of the European Central Bank. When asked whether Sciclu- na's current position risks dam- aging Malta's reputation, Abela invited the media to examine the magisterial inquiry's con- tents to see if Scicluna's charg- es were recommended, "purely because he was a minister." The Prime Minister then said that one has to see if Sciclu- na even featured in the proces verbal, adding that people can reach their own conclusions. The Vitals inquiry has not been published and the Prime Minister has said he is not in possession of the magistrate's findings despite repeated state- ments that suggest otherwise. Opposition leader Bernard Grech has unequivocally ac- cused the Prime Minister of having in his possession the inquiry and called for its pub- lication. The Prime Minister has de- fended past and present public officials being charged by the police. Abela repeatedly said that Scicluna's possible resignation could not be compared to that of ex-deputy prime minister Chris Fearne. Fearne is also be- ing charged on the same lines as Scicluna. Last week, Fearne tendered his resignation from Cabinet and deputy prime minister, adding he is certain that his innocence will be prov- en in court. But Abela remained unfazed on Scicluna's reluctance to step down from the Central Bank. Noting that all accused bene- fit from the presumption of in- nocence, Abela noted that one has to wait and see if the mag- isterial inquiry was conducted with the same presumption of innocence in mind. Robert Abela Parties trade barbs over lack of police interest in Vitals scandal suspects THE PN's shadow minister for health has called out the Police for failing to interrogate people flagged for wrongdoing in the Vi- tals inquiry. Adrian Delia said on TVM's Xtra that in the wake of the charges recommended by a mag- istrate to the Attorney General, interrogations and the taking of statements from the suspects should have taken place before charges being filed. "I have been asking, calling, so- liciting, and pressing the police commissioner for years to com- mence his interrogation, his in- vestigations," Delia said. Magistrates in Malta assume executive powers when carrying out inquiries, often selecting to include, or not, police investiga- tors in their inquiry. The Vitals inquiry has em- broiled former prime minister Jo- seph Muscat, who faces charges of money laundering, corruption and bribery in the Vitals hospitals concession even though Muscat was not identified in the origi- nal criminal complaint by NGO Repubblika that prompted the inquiry. Since then, Muscat has com- plained that his rights were breached by not being called in for questioning. Delia said that as former PN leader, having successfully ob- tained the rescission of the Vitals hospitals concession in a civ- il court, he had often asked the police to start taking statements from potential suspects over al- leged fraud. "He always replied, 'no, I do not need to," Delia said. Delia said the police could have freely investigated the allegations even throughout the magisterial inquiry. "It's better to ask the jus- tice or home affairs ministers as to why the Commissioner of Po- lice chose not to," he said. Justice Minister Jonathan At- tard replied by asking why the magistrate herself did not call for them either. Delia instantly re- acted by saying: "Leave the mag- istrate alone." Attard insisted that neither the AG nor the police commissioner were obliged to call in suspects for interrogation, saying he had hoped it would be the magistrate to call in people for questioning. "The police commissioner has already explained this, saying he followed the [inquiry's] conclu- sions. There was no need," Attard added. The Attorney General is also legally empowered to drop any accusations that might not be evidence-backed, employing the nolle prosequi power. But Attard countered that the AG would then have been crit- icised for not issuing charges against anyone identified by the magistrate. "They say she is com- promised, only for doing her job and following the conclusions of the inquiry. Can you imagine had she proceeded with a nolle prose- qui?" Adrian Delia says police showed disinterest in carrying out interrogations concurrently throughout the Vitals magisterial inquiry MARIANNA CALLEJA mcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt Adrian Delia