Former Nationalist Party and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil has warned strongly against a “proposed government initiative that is going to rob people of the right to request a magisterial inquiry”. Outside the Valletta law courts during yesterday’s monthly vigil marking the assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, he branded the move as dangerous to accountability and justice.
The vigil, drew activists, politicians, and members of civil society demanding justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia and the corruption she exposed.
Busuttil explained that citizen-initiated inquiries, made possible by laws enabling the public to request direct investigations from magistrates, were responsible for unearthing many high-profile corruption scandals involving the 17 Black scandal and the controversial privatization sation deal of the islands’ hospitals.
“The Prime Minister wants to take away this right. Do not let him. Let us not let him,” exclaimed Busuttil, calling on citizens, civil society groups such as Repubblika, and even members of the Labour Party to stand in the way of the government’s plans. “This is not a partisan issue. It is about the protection of justice and democracy.”
Caruana Galizia’s Legacy and the Fight for Justice
Busuttil’s speech revisited pioneering work done by Daphne Caruana Galizia, who in a string of explosive articles from 2016, linked secret offshore companies to the then-Energy Minister, Konrad Mizzi, and then-Chief of Staff Keith Schembri, implicating them in corruption allegations associated with the mysterious Dubai-based company 17 Black.
In a blistering attack against the administration of Joseph Muscat, Busuttil recounted his efforts to demand accountability, expecting the then-prime minister to take decisive action against Mizzi and Schembri. “Instead of doing the honourable thing, he defended them with all his might and attacked those who expected him to act,” Busuttil said.
This inaction, according to Busuttil, was a sign of complicity and a descent into what he termed “darkness” that Malta continues to grapple with.
Busuttil also questioned how long it was taking to take corruption offenders to court and called for it to be expedited. “Why did we have to wait almost nine years for justice?” he said. His statement comes as courts are still hearing cases against prominent figures uncovered by Caruana Galizia, whose investigations unveiled a complex web of financial misconduct involving government officials and business elites.
Busuttil concluded his speech with an emotional homage to Caruana Galizia, recognizing the personal price she paid for her quest for truth. “Daphne was right, but she paid with her life. We will never get you back, but we can honour you by fighting for justice,” he said.
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