Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/670480
7 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 24 APRIL 2016 News TIM DIACONO ALTERNATTIVA Demokratika chairman Arnold Cassola let fly at Labour and PN politicians, ac- cusing them of sacrificing values and morals for votes and financial gains. "Everything is up for sale – from hospitals, to the coast, to citizen- ship," he told the Green Party's an- nual general meeting. "On the contrary, AD's policies are based on improving the qual- ity of life for the poor, pensioners, people with disabilities, and work- ers with meagre salaries and allow- ances." Only around 15 people attended the party's AGM, including AD officials and former AD leader Mi- chael Briguglio. However, Cassola took heart in his belief that the electorate ac- knowledges AD's "consistency and intellectual honesty". "That in itself is not enough to guarantee electoral success, and competition for votes will only be- come harsher as other people set up new parties." He later told MaltaToday that AD is ready to collaborate with other fledgling parties, including a new centre-left party floated by in- dependent MP Marlene Farrugia, but that the party will not compro- mise on its pro-environment, pro- Europe, pro-good governance, pro-civil rights and anti-racist stances. "However, Marlene Farrugia's plans are still in their early stages, and there is nothing concrete on the table yet," he said. "We need to know what we are dealing with first." In his speech, Cassola said that people feel the need for a third party to be represented in Parlia- ment, arguing that both Labour and PN have shown that they preach one thing when in Oppo- sition but act differently once in government. "Political credibility can only be earned through consistency, and AD has been consistent through- out – from our criticism of the Armier boathouses to our insist- ence that ODZ land should not be built up. We never promise what we cannot deliver, but look the electorate in the eye and speak clearly about where we stand." Cassola hit out at politicians from both major parties – on the Panamagate scandal, to al- legations that economy minister Chris Cardona was living in a Por- tomaso apartment free of charge, to former finance minister Tonio Fenech flown on a private jet to watch an Arsenal football match, to works allegedly carried out for free on PN deputy leader Mario de Marco's house. "Whenever I hire a plumber, he demands to be paid on the spot and not delay payment for five years," he said of de Marco, who paid Redmap Constructions last month for works that had started in 2011. However, the AD leader saved his sharpest scorn for energy min- ister Konrad Mizzi and OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri, who have been revealed to own offshore companies in Panama. "This is unlikely to go away any- time soon, and is set to escalate when the full list of companies in- volved are published in early May. There are 42 Maltese names in the list, and it would be interesting to find out whether any of them are businessmen who benefitted from government contracts or tenders." He urged the Prime Minister to sack the duo, warning that Euro- pean countries will not look kindly at their presence in high posi- tions when Malta takes up the EU Council presidency next year. Cassola, whose party chose not to attend two recent anti-corrup- tion protests organised by the PN, threw his weight behind a civil so- ciety protest set for 7 May that will call for the resignations of Mizzi and Schembri. "Civil society will make its voice heard, that enough is enough and that righteousness must triumph," he said. Cassola warns of 'morality crisis' in Maltese politics Cassar to resign police chief role CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Home Af- fairs Minister Carmelo Abela has not received any official resigna- tion notice from the Commis- sioner, who has already been two weeks on sick leave. Cassar was once again in the eye of the storm after public calls from Opposition leader Simon Busuttil to investigate privatisation con- tracts that took place under the aegis of energy and health minister Konrad Mizzi, because of the min- ister's offshore company he had opened in Panama. As a police officer, Cassar, who lives in Zabbar, made a name for himself with a tough stand against drug barons and trafficking. In 1994 his home was extensively damaged by a bomb placed by Em- manuel Camilleri (Leli l-Bully), a convicted drug trafficker. "Michael Cassar was on holiday with his family when he returned to Malta and was admitted to hos- pital. He spent two days at the hos- pital and he is recovering at home now. We are waiting for further test results," Carmelo Abela said yesterday. "There is no letter of resignation as yet and I don't know what's go- ing to happen. [Cassar] is a person first and foremost and it's impor- tant that he follow medical ad- vice. The decision is entirely up to him," the minister said, dismiss- ing claims that Cassar's departure would have resulted from disa- greements at work. Abela denied that Cassar wanted to step down because of "political pressure" not to investigate the Panama scandal. "Politicians do not interfere in the works of the police force. It is up to the police to decide what to investigate," the minister said. He went on to warn against "any speculations". The Malta Independent claimed that the Police Commissioner was unhappy with the government's planned decision to introduce a CEO – an allegation immediately shot down by the minister who pointed out that such plans had been announced well before Cas- sar became chief of police. Both Cassar and Abela were ap- pointed to their present role fol- lowing the shooting incident that involved the driver of Abela's pre- decessor. An electoral pledge of the Labour Party is that the gov- ernment wants to "modernise" the police force which would include a CEO. The CEO would report di- rectly to the police commissioner.