Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/429113
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2014 5 TIM DIACONO OPPOSITION leader Simon Bu- suttil has challenged Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to publish his mobile phone call-logs between 9:15pm and 11:15pm of 19 November, in a bid to establish whether he was fully aware of what had transpired that night when Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia's driver, Paul Sheehan, shot twice at the car of Stephen Morrison Smith. Busuttil yesterday declared that it was "impossible" for Muscat not to have been informed of the circum- stances of the Sheehan shooting, when his communications coor- dinator, Kurt Farrugia, was being informed of what was going on by acting Police Commissioner Ray Zammit, well before a government statement was issued. The Opposition leader said it was obvious that Muscat had to take po- litical responsibility, and that Mallia, Farrugia and even Zammit should resign their positions. "The only reason Muscat has not yet removed Mallia is because he himself is involved in this confusion. I challenge Muscat to publish, im- mediately, the telephone call log of his mobile calls to government com- munications coordinator Kurt Far- rugia, acting police commissioner Ray Zammit, and home affairs min- ister Manuel Mallia. If he does not, then we must assume that he has something to hide," Busuttil said. The Opposition leader kept ham- mering at Muscat yesterday after the PN media released a set of abridged 'transcripts' – presented on TV in the form of a re-enacted script – which suggest that Sheehan informed Zammit early on that he had fired at Smith's car, and not warning shots as claimed in a government statement. On his part, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat yesterday declared he would stand by the findings of the inde- pendent inquiry he had appointed, and take the necessary decisions ac- cording to the facts. "There is a fundamental difference between the Opposition leader and I: Busuttil chooses to be selective and issue pieces of information that ben- efit him. I appointed an independent inquiry that has access to all infor- mation, transcripts, recordings, and other evidence," the Prime Minister said. Busuttil yesterday also questioned whether Farrugia, as the govern- ment's head of communications, had relayed the information to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. "Seeing as Farrugia had known everything before the government statement was issued, one must ask whether he had informed the prime minister of what had happened – and whether the prime minister therefore also knew of the real ver- sion of events before the statement was issued. Two hours passed be- tween when Farrugia first heard the news and when the statement was published. Is it possible that he did not speak to the Prime Minister dur- ing that time? "For us it is obvious that the prime minister was informed about every- thing," Busuttil said. "It is impossible that someone as close to Muscat as Farrugia is did not inform him about something so serious... the prime minister knew everything before the statement was issued, and that makes him an ac- complice in the cover-up. How can he be angered and disgusted at what happened when he himself was in- volved in this cover-up? "It is time for Muscat to be a man, come clean and, for once, say the whole truth and nothing but the truth." Busuttil said it was shameful the truth of the matter was not emerg- ing from the government or the PBS, but from the Opposition or the inde- pendent media. He said the transcripts published by the PN media showed that the government was aware of the events of the night, contrary to what was claimed in the government state- ment. "It is clear that minister Mallia, Zammit and Farrugia all knew the full truth of the incident before the government issued the statement. This means that this statement was a cover-up, particularly about where the shots had been fired. "Mallia's position is not tenable and he must be removed immedi- ately. Since Kurt Farrugia and Ray Zammit had known everything too, their positions are no longer tenable either and should be removed imme- diately too." Busuttil also heavily criticised the PBS, which falls under Mallia's port- folio. "I am very disappointed at PBS's behaviour," he said. "It is the national broadcaster and it is paid for by our taxes, but is dragging its feet rather than helping the truth come out." AD reaction In a statement, Alternattiva Demokratika said that on the as- sumption that the phone transcripts released by the PN media were au- thentic, AD was calling for the resig- nation of minister Manuel Mallia. "We reiterate that Manuel Mallia must be forced to resign. By 9:15pm on that fateful evening he had com- municated with his driver and he knew that Sheehan had shot at body level. Yet, together with the Prime Minister's aide, Kurt Farrugia, he concocted a fairy tale whereby he declared that he had not spoken to his driver and then that the shots had only been fired in the air," AD chair- person Arnold Cassola said. "Since the minister has proved himself to be a big liar, after the firing of the bullet shots, it is time for the minister to be fired now. The Prime Minister's aide should join him im- mediately until further responsibili- ties are ascertained. In the meantime, for the sake of truth and transparency, the PN should provide the enquiring judges and magistrate with the origi- nal tapes of the telephone conversa- tions." Cassola said the new revelations of the past weeks only strengthened the argument that Manuel Mallia was not fit to occupy the position of minister. Muscat has launched an inquiry into the Opposition's allegations of a cover-up of the facts, led by three retired judges. The inquiry has been tasked to conclude by Tuesday. News Busuttil demands that PM publishes call logs on night of Sheehan shooting Mallia touch anything so that we have an inquiry." At 9:45pm, Zammit was in con- versation with both government communications coordinator Kurt Farrugia and with Paul Sheehan on another line, simultaneously relay- ing the events from Sheehan to Far- rugia. "Where were you parked? Because I have Kurt on the line," Zammit is alleged to have said. Sheehan relays the events of the night, says Smith pressed him against the wall and that he had also been assaulted with a beer bottle. Zammit then says: "And what did you do? You gave chase?" Sheehan replies, "I fired two shots." And Zammit then asks: "While he was driving?", to which Sheehan re- plies, "of course." [mela]. At 10:36pm, in another telephone call, Zammit asks Sheehan whether he is sure of what he said – of wheth- er he shot at Smith – to which Shee- han says yes. At 11:08pm, another conversation takes place, with Zammit telling Sheehan that Mallia wanted to speak to him. Mallia inquires about Shee- han's mother's address; and Sheehan tells the minister that the other se- curity driver would be calling for his (the minister's) daughter and for the minister at the police headquarters. Mallia is said to have replied to him saying, "ok, mate." [ok, siehbi]. At 11:14pm, the government issues a statement claiming that warning shots had been fired in air, following the hit and run. Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia (centre) flanked by his ministry's communications coordinator, Ramona Attard, and Kurt Farrugia, the government's communications director