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Muscat ‘unaware’ of Attard club matters, hits out at PN ‘malice’
Labour leader Joseph Muscat admitted this morning that he was not aware of the events which unfolded within the PL club in Attard two years ago, as PN continues to hit at Labour over Toni Abela recordings.
16 February 2013, 12:00am
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
2 min read
PL leader Joseph Muscat
Labour leader Joseph Muscat said that he was not aware of anything irregular inside the Labour club of Attard in 2010, details of which emerged in court by a former barman of the club, Richard Vella, who faces charges of assulat and injuring a committee member during an argument.
Vella told the court that he had released a statement to Police Commissioner John Rizzo two years ago that PL deputy leader Toni Abela had sought a Labour leaning police officer at Birkirkara Police Station urging him not to press charges over the matter.
He then went on to reveal that Toni Abela had admitted this to the PL committee in Attard, and what he said was secretly recorded and passed on to the Commissioner and third parties.
Subsequent to Vella's testimony, extracts from the recordings were posted on YouTube, triggering a pressing campaign by the PN for Abela to resign.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was adamant yet again this morning that Abela should take political responsibility for the recordings in which he is heard speaking about illegal activities which were never reported to the police.
The secret recordings - in which Abela is heard saying he wrested a police report by Vella against a committee member, who allegeldy changed the locks to the Attard club's bar, to pursue the matter civilly; and then talking about a drugs incident inside another party club - were "the most serious scandals that have betrayed the PL's hypocrisy", Gonzi said today while on a tour of Zabbar shops.
"The difference between the PN and Labour, is that we take steps and inform the police of such illegal activities," Gonzi said.
In Manikata this morning, Labour leader Joseph Muscat accused the PN for having "maliciously" kept the recordings and used them only now to "inflict damage" on the Labour Party on issues which happened years ago.
Muscat described the issue as an attempt by the PN to defame Labour and Abela. "The PN has seemingly known about the case for the past two years and is only maliciously talking about it now," Muscat said, adding that the timing was "malicious."
Asked on how he would have handled such a case, Muscat replied that "everybody acts differently, but I have never found myself in such a situation. But should I have evidence of any wrongdoing, I would refer it immediately to the police to investigate," he said.
Asked on whether Toni Abela's position has now become politically untenable, Muscat replied that "Abela is a victim of a coordinated attack."
Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...
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The difference my friends, in in todays party polls. The PN is still losing credibility with the people. The PN's strategy is simply not working. Simon, PBO, marthese, BFA, A.G, the message from the people is very simple. We do not believe you.
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The crux of the matter is that even the police commissioner has stated that no criminal act was committed by Dr. Abela!
Do I therefore assume that PM Gonzi has lost faith in the Police Commissioner?
If I recall correctly, not long ago, in court an accusation was made by a former PN mayor in Sliema setting under oath that the PN General Secretary, Dr. Borg Olivier put pressure on him to allocate a contract to a particular company.
Has Dr. Gonzi asked Paul Borg Olivier to resign?
I think we should be concentrating on the real issues of who can really get this country out of the gutter which Gonzi & Co. have got it in.
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Well I must say that the PM has alot of responsabilty too since he knew about the case 2 yrs ago. Now he is trying to take political advantage. The PM should take responsability about the mailshots sent to those employees who work in the public sector to terrorise them. From where did the PN get the personal and confidential data? Remember that PBO requested all departments to log him all the complaints received at the respective gov depts? Does PBO resign for such a breech of Dara Protection? but the biggest scandal is the the OIL SCANDAL. The Toni Abela case is just a storm in a Tea Cup. DO you know that you may find people smoking in a PN club? Is this not against the law too? Is pole dancing acceptable too? Where are the moral values and then we speak about the divorce issue? Oqbra mbajda bhal farizej
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mr muscat you are cornered. be credible and consistent and tell toni abela to resign as you did with anglu farrugia. they both did mistakes and you cannot act on two weighs two measures. failing to force toni abela to resign, we will be rigth in saying that you lied to anglu telling him that you forced him to resign because of what he said in the mass meeting.
Mark Fenech •
But if gonzipn knew that something was wrong, why they did not take action two years ago. they did not have the interest of the country then, they say they have now. What a joke.
Paul Pandolfino •
Joseph Muscat is sticking his neck defending Tony's criminal behaviour by failing to report drug traffickers to the police, while he sacked Dr. Farrugia for no known reason. The different behaviour leaves us all puzzled.
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The news in the media is being utilized as a political tool of suppression and propaganda by those in power.
GONZIPN is implementing an arrogant and very commercial strategy that appeals to emotions,
fear being the main one relentless talk of
national security, personal and community safety.
GONZIPN strategist knows that this time round it's not being effective.
21 Days left for the fall of GONZIPN Empire!!
Luke Camilleri •
Malice?
"PN ARE EVIL" and these are Dr. Franco Debono's words, DR. FRANCO DEBONO, the Nationalist MP, Gonzi's very own MP!
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This is rich coming from a party which for weeks allowed its PN club at Mosta - right in front of the Rotunda - to be a haven for pole dancing and illicit goings-on with half-clad females frequenting the club to entertain patrons. But this PN slanderous campaign goes hand-in-hand with its traditional character-assassination attempts based on half-lies and outright lies. Remember the JPO saga just prior to the 2008 elections?
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It is obvious the PN are so sure of losing these elections that they are grabbing at all lifelines, even the weakest and thinnest. They are paving the way for their defence once the Whistle Blowers Act is in place. If any body may be blamed for the oversupply of drugs on this island it must definitely be the Government that has had the power to stop this menace these past 25 years. But they only managed to throw some small fry inside, so as to be seen as doing something. THE BIG FISH NEVER GOT AS NEAR AS QUEEN VICTORIA'S STATUTE AS TO THE COURT BUILDING THOUGHT!!! So perhaps Beppe has an answer to this, seeing he is as responsible and implicated in this state of affairs as all PN parliamentarians. Now do not go convincing me that no drug cases ever crossed their lawyer's doors, ta'!!!!
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Kif Dr Gonzi qed jipretendi li Dr Abela jerfa' r-responsabbilta', meta hu kellu ghar minn hekk fuq wahda mill-oghla karigi fl-Audit office tieghu, u meta jaf kif qed tkun mixlija u akkuzata, accetta biss li tohrog bil-leave flok li tirrizenja. Qed nirreferi ghal Rita Schembri. Fuq l-iskandli tax-xiri taz-zejt, Gonzi ma hassx li jisma xi recordings li seta' jitlob li jkollu. Gonzipn biex tiskongra trid tkun pur
Igor P. Shuvalov •
It is evident that the only hope for the Nationalist election campaigners to try to gain some ground in this election campaign is to deviate the discussions from that on what each party is offering to the electorate and instead turn the spotlight on matters which are of less importance.
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The PN need not look at their dirty past. It is all there for all to see. That's why the people, who are no longer wearing blinkers, are fed up with corruption, fraud and mismanagement and now want a clean and honest government to lift this island of ours from the mire into which GonziPN have managed to leave it.
