Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/656590
3 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 23 MARCH 2016 News Scicluna refuses to 'interfere in merits' of Panamagate case De Marco hits back at 'conspiracy' over Times's 'anti-Gonzi' campaign MATTHEW VELLA THE Nationalist Party's deputy leader for parliamentary affairs, Mario de Marco, has taken sharp umbrage at claims by a Malta Independent columnist that his role on the Strickland Founda- tion – the trust that owns Allied Newspapers, publishers of The Times – inf luenced an alleged editorial decision to "demonise" Lawrence Gonzi in the run-up to the 2013 election. The outburst comes in the wake of an opinion penned by Simon Mercieca, a University of Malta academic who in 2013 was tasked to co-author a report on the PN's electoral loss. Mercieca wrote in his piece that de Marco should resign his PN post over allegations that Allied's former managing direc- tor, Adrian Hillman, a long time friend of de Marco, could have accepted some form of bribe from Keith Schembri, the paper supplies businessman who be- came Joseph Muscat's chief of staff. Allegations on the supposed bribe were made by Daphne Caruana Galizia, a TMI column- ist, and have as yet remained unsubstantiated by any docu- mented evidence, but prompted the Allied Group to launch an in- ternal inquiry headed by retired judge Giovanni Bonello. "To substantiate his claim of undue interference, Mr Mercieca refers to what he calls decisions taken by the editors of The Times to demonise Lawrence Gonzi and ministers who were close to Dr Gonzi. He questions whether I had a hand in this. Mercieca's claim is the stuff of science fic- tion," de Marco, a former minis- ter for the environment and cul- ture under Gonzi before 2013, and later a leadership contender who lost out to Simon Busuttil, wrote in reply. Simon Mercieca was rolled out in public first by the anti-divorce campaign, before assuming a more prominent role as a PN pundit and authoring the elec- toral loss report with Rosette Thake and Ann Fenech. But de Marco said that the Gonzi administration was ham- pered by the financial crisis abroad, and internal party strife, as well as questionable decisions he had "no qualms in assuming collective responsibility for", as well as taking an independent press for granted. "The journalists of The Times, like journalists from other in- dependent media, were presum- ably not cocooned or immune to what was happening at that time. Most journalists at The Times and the other independent media criticised the stand we took as a party in government on divorce. "Various young journalists thought that the party was too conservative on LGBT issues and was refusing to move ahead with the times. "Does Simon Mercieca honest- ly think that their position was part of some conspiracy against Dr Gonzi as opposed to a justi- fied position representing a more liberal attitude prevalent among our younger generation from which many journalists hail? They criticized the government just as most of the independent media is now questioning this government on a regular basis. No journalist worth his salt owes any government a living." De Marco said his anger at the criticism towards the PN admin- istration from the press was only at his own government's inabil- ity to turn the situation around. "The solution in such difficult circumstances is not to attack, question, intimidate or ridicule the members of the press that rightly or wrongly exercised their right to hold government to task but to either right your wrongs or to work harder to con- vince others that you are right." Mercieca has claimed in his opinion piece that the newspa- per's criticism of the Gonzi ad- ministration was part of a "big- ger plan" for de Marco to assume the party's leadership after 2013. De Marco, who recently under- went surgery for a tumour on a facial nerve, said that these last four months had been "hell for him". "I do not believe I am [per- fect]. Each day I question why I am in politics. I am however driven to stay on by a sense of duty towards the ordinary man and woman I meet in the street as opposed to those who live in ivory towers and enjoy spinning conspiracy theories." Finance minister says it would not be appropriate to comment on minister's Panamanian company until a tax audit has been completed TIM DIACONO FINANCE minister Edward Scicluna refused to share his views on offshore Panamanian companies owned by health and energy minister Konrad Mizzi and OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri. Scicluna said it would not be appropriate for him to "interfere in the merits of the case" given that Mizzi's controversial com- pany is currently under inves- tigation by the Inland Revenue Commissioner. "The Tax Commissioner falls under my remit as minister, and I can ensure you that he is do- ing his job and proceeding in his investigations according to the law." The minister was answering questions from the press, fol- lowing a press conference at the finance ministry to announce incentives for people who con- tinue working beyond retire- ment age. He was coy on warnings that a full, transparent investigation of Mizzi's company will prove to be impossible, given Panama's loose financial laws on people setting up companies. "It would appear to me that the Tax Commissioner will not encounter any problems, since Mizzi has given him a waiver to investigate anything he deems fit. However, I am not aware of the full circumstances of the case so cannot comment with full convic- tion." Scicluna dodged MaltaToday's question on whether he consid- ers it acceptable for a minister to set up a company in a notorious tax haven. "The Prime Minister has al- ready commented and Mizzi admitted that [his choice if Pan- ama] was a mistake and I have nothing more to add," he said. Scicluna chose to focus on Mizzi's New Zealand trust, that owns 100% of the shares of his Panamanian company Hearn- ville. "Several European Commis- sioners set up and declare their own trusts to manage their wealth. The issue is not whether ministers should be allowed to open trusts but whether Mizzi's motivation in doing so was legitimate." The finance minister refused to give a direct answer when asked whether he was interested in becoming the Maltese repre- sentative at the European Court of Auditors, following Toni Ab- ela's rejection by the European Parliament's budget- ary com- mittee. "When the Prime Minister asked me to stand for election, I stepped down from my high- paying position as MEP," he said. "I am not one to abandon ship, but one who is willing to stay the course when the going gets rough." The finance minister laughed off questions by PN news media on whether he has offered his resignation to the Prime Minis- ter. "Resign? As if…" he said. Edward Scicluna