Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/823875
3 maltatoday, MONDAY, 15 MAY 2017 News PORTOMASOLIVE.COM REGISTER NOW 1 2 3 Register your personal account JOIN DEPOSIT EARN CASHBACK Place your deposit, play & participate in our promotions You're always a winner at Portomaso Live You're always a winner Busuttil's pro-hunting stance proves he will do anything for votes, AD argues YANNICK PACE ALTERNATTIVA Demokratika has hit out at Simon Busuttil af- ter the Nationalist Party leader yesterday sought to allay hunt- ers' fears that he would propose a second spring hunting refer- endum. The Green Party's secretary general and election candidate, Ralph Cassar said that Busut- til's stance betrays his hypocrisy over the environment and the fact that "he will do anything for votes". "This is yet another exam- ple of how the PN, like the PL, dances to the tune of strong and arrogant lobby groups," he said. "Neither of them is interested in keeping the countryside free for people to enjoy, but want to leave it in the hands of a few bul- lies. "There is nothing to choose between PN and PL, and Busut- til – like Joseph Muscat – will not impose strict controls on hunting." Addressing a political activity in Siggiewi on Sunday morning, Busuttil recounted how he had "voted with the hunters" in the 2015 spring hunting referen- dum because he had "given his word" to them 12 years earlier when Malta joined the Euro- pean Union. During membership negotia- tions, the Maltese government had informed the Commission of its intention to allow spring hunting by applying a deroga- tion under the Birds directive. Busuttil had come out in fa- vour of spring hunting in the 2015 referendum campaign, but the Labour Party cast doubt on his convictions by noting that he had taken a week to declare his intention. The old wounds have now been opened again, triggered by Busuttil's recent pledge to intro- duce propositional referenda, which would allow people to in- voke a referendum to introduce laws, under the same param- eters which forced the abroga- tive referendum against spring hunting. Hunting lobby FKNK warned that propositional referenda could be used as another tool to eradicate hunting and trapping in Malta and said it was sur- prised that the PN has come up with that proposal. Chief executive Lino Farrugia said that the FKNK had recently held a meeting with PN offi- cials during which the two sides discussed a controversial peti- tion by the FKNK which bears 104,294 signatures and was presented in Parliament by La- bour MP Michael Falzon back in 2014. The petition calls for amend- ments to the Referenda Act, so that referenda cannot be used to target minorities which, in the FKNK's opinion, includes hunt- ers and other hobbyists. Busuttil has now sought to al- lay fears that propositional ref- erenda could be used to invoke a second spring hunting refer- endum. "What we are proposing is to allow citizens to petition the government to hold a referen- dum asking for the inclusion of a law," he clarified. He said that some hunters had asked him to state what the PN's position on hunting was, since "the Labour Party was spread- ing rumours" of a referendum. "As usual, because they have no arguments and are with their backs to the wall, they have re- sorted to lying," the PN leader said. "They told hunters that if Simon Busuttil is elected there would be a new referendum on hunting. And I ask? During whose term did a referendum take place? "On hunting, the PN would re- spect the will of the people. It's a closed case for us. Closed." He appealed to hunters, as well as to those present, not to allow Muscat "to use them" for their vote so that he and "his clique in Castille could continue to profit. Busuttil also rejected claims made by the Labour Party, that he had no respect for people from the south of Malta, point- ing out that his partner is herself from the south. More suspicious transactions Referring to a report in the Sunday Times of Malta, Busut- til said the report revealed that in addition to two €50,000 pay- ments allegedly made by Nexia BT managing partner Brian Tonna to OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schemrbi, Tonna had also received some €583,000 in commissions from the sale of citizenship. "While Joseph Muscat was travelling the world selling passports, Schembri was receiv- ing kickbacks on their sale," said Busuttil. He said that while he had pre- sented evidence to the magiste- rial inquiry on two payments between Brian Tonna and Keith Schmebri, there was now an- other suspicious transaction. "Willerby [Trade Inc.], reg- istered in the British Virgin Islands, was receiving money from the sale of passports," said Busuttil. "We know this because after it emerged that Willerby belongs to Brian Tonna, it was revealed to be receiving money from the company BT Interna- tional." Busuttil went on to say that for every sale through the citi- zenship by investment scheme, Willbery would take a 50% commission for every 'active referral' and 30% for 'passive re- ferrals'. He insisted that the fact that the account at Pilatus Bank was closed immediately after the Panama Papers leaks showed it was being used to park money from kick-backs. "All this was being done by two people with a desk at the office of the Prime Minister," said Busuttil. "The Prime Min- ister either did not know about anything, in which case he is incompetent and should not be prime minister, or else some- thing else. I don't know about you but I think the Prime Min- ister knew about everything because he is not stupid enough not to know what is going on under his nose." Busuttil stressed that what- ever Muscat's role in the matter, "his place is no longer in poli- tics", adding that once the Prime Minister had not done what was right, it was now up to the na- tion. Referring to voting intention surveys published this morn- ing in a number of local news- papers, Busuttil said it was pos- sible "to mobilise" people in the remaining three weeks of the campaign. He said the PN had not given up when it trailed the Labour Party by 36,000 votes, and wasn't about to give up now that it was quickly gaining ground. Additional reporting by Tim Diacono