Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/826032
maltatoday, FRIDAY, 19 MAY 2017 5 News PM says Hillman accusations are old hat CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Mus- cat has previously called the Egrant allegation "the big- gest political lie in history" and today hinted he would take legal steps for calumny. Muscat also said that he had already forwarded in- formation prepared by the three judges in the inquiry which centred on the PN's deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami's role as a fiduciary director of CapitalOne In- vestment Group to the com- petent authorities. "I did what the judges told me to and forwarded the contents of this sealed infor- mation, which I read upon advice of the Attorney Gen- eral, for further investiga- tion." The CapitalOne inquiry was concluded earlier this year, and in March the gov- ernment had said that the re- port had been passed on for further investigation by the FIAU and the police. Opposition leader Simon Busuttil on Wednesday an- nounced he had received new information and evidence of a "new case of criminality and corruption" implicating Joseph Muscat's chief of staff Keith Schembri. Busuttil said he has in his possession an entire cache of documents showing how Schembri paid former Allied Group managing director Adrian Hillman €650,000 in payments between 2011 and 2015 without any form of explanation. "The payments came from secret structures that indicate a textbook case of bribery and money laun- dering," Busuttil said. Schembri's Kasco Group had won a competitive ten- der to supply Allied Group's Progress Press with its print- ing press in 2010. Busuttil said Schembri used a Gibral- tarian company and various bank accounts in Switzer- land and Gibraltar to pass on money to Hillman or Hillman's offshore company in the British Virgin Islands company, Lester Holdings. But Muscat today said this was a rehash of information that was already available. "It's been in Busuttil's hands for some time and instead of taking this infor- mation to the investigating magistrate, he has tried to create some act about re- ceiving the information so that he can release it mid- campaign." Muscat said the allegations relate to Schembri's business affairs from 2006 onwards – Schembri's Kasco Group supplied Allied's Progress Press with newsprint and later on a printing press – and had nothing to do with Schembri's political life. "I'm also informed all trans- actions were declared to the Inland Revenue… tax was paid locally. I have no doubt Busuttil did what he did be- cause he will get caught up in a lie over Egrant and he is trying to delay proceedings." Muscat also said that Al- lied Newspapers, publishers of The Times, had already commissioned an internal report by Judge Giovanni Bonello into the allegations of payments from Schembri to Hillman, but instead re- solved to have an amicable settlement with Hillman. "The Times should have published the outcome of this inquiry," Muscat said. Adrian Hillman Muscat paints picture of 'divisive' Busuttil MIRIAM DALLI IF Simon Busuttil were to be elected Prime Minister he would divide the country into categories, choosing be- tween those who are Labour and PN, those who come from the North or South of the country and between those who are rich or poor, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this evening. Standing before hundreds that gathered in Tarxien for a political event yesterday evening, the Maltese prime minister urged the electorate to trust the Labour govern- ment for a second term, tell- ing them that his government had delivered in four years what the PN administrations failed to do in 25 years. "Simon Busuttil is a danger- ous man… and he will con- tinue lying to save himself," Muscat said, warning Busut- til that he "can run but he cannot hide" from shoulder- ing political responsibility over the "Egrant calumny". Both Muscat and Labour MP and Gozitan candidate Franco Mercieca accused Busuttil of categorizing indi- viduals according to their po- litical affiliation. "He looks at people's faces and he sees red or blue; Labour or National- ists. He is showing his true colours," the MP said. Mercieca was referring to an incident that took place at the University of Malta on Wednesday, involving his son who is a student. During the leaders' debate, students inside Sir Temi Zammit Hall were given the opportunity to place their name inside a box, in order to ask a ques- tion. Charles Mercieca's name was amongst those chosen at random. He asked Busuttil how the PN's pledge granting €10,000 to couples moving to Gozo would work. Busut- til, who told him "say hi to your father", told him that he would soon find out when he receives the proposals by post. "My son was there, like any other kid present for the de- bate. But Simon Busuttil's re- ply only tells me one thing: he was telling my son that 'since you're Labour, you don't de- serve an answer'," he said. As the crowd started clapping, Mercieca stopped them, add- ing that Busuttil was turning the clock backwards. "This is not something to be applauded. He [Busuttil] is making a choice between La- bour and PN supporters. He's tearing apart that principle of unity which we worked so hard to achieve. He's bring- ing the politics of the past back." Echoing Mercieca's words, Muscat said that it was that moment that betrayed Bu- suttil. "This is Busuttil's true character. Remember when four years ago he told Debo- rah [Schembri] she had the face of a Nationalist? Then, two weeks ago, he went to Cottonera to tell the resi- dents that they have prob- lems. When we took [foreign prime ministers] to Serkin they told us 'how common'. "It is during these moments that Busuttil's true colours emerge. It's when he is not scripted that you realize who he truly is: he is the person that categorizes people ac- cording to their political af- filiation, whether they live in the north or south… accord- ing to whether they're rich or poor. "And that's where we dif- fer… we are one family who believes that everyone should progress in life and we help them achieve this." Muscat accused Busuttil of adopting delaying tactics in order to prolong as much as possible to conclusion of the Egrant inquiry. "Is Busuttil scared of the result of the inquiry? I renew the challenge: if the inquiry links me in any way to Egrant I will resign. But he will have to shoulder responsibility if it turns out that he has built all this on a lie – he who took people to the streets. "I know that the truth is on our side."