[WATCH] Muscat knew of ‘white powder’ incident, PN reveals former barman’s complaint

Labour leader Joseph Muscat was aware of an incident in which 'white powder' - an allusion to an illegal substance - was brought inside a Labour Party club in 2009, leading to the expulsion of a barman, the PN has claimed today.

Nationalist secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier today revealed correspondence to Muscat, and which was acknowledged by a party media officer, in which the barman in question complained of having been expelled from the party over the incident by Labour deputy leader for party affairs Toni Abela.

In his letter to Muscat, the man claimed that on 7 June 2009, a group of youngsters had brought the alleged white powder inside the club during a "bout of celebration" but that he had not realised what was happening.

Instead it was a club committee member, whose son was in the club at the time, who blamed the barman for the incident. It would appear that the man was subsequently expelled from the party.

In February 2012, the same person wrote to Muscat again, complaining that no steps had been taken against the club's own president who was being fielded as a candidate for the local council elections. "He should not be accepted as candidate... you know the case well, because I wrote to you about it in 2009," the man was quoted by Borg Olivier as saying. "The only solution you gave me was meeting me and having a photograph taken of me."

Borg Olivier said the revelations have betrayed Muscat's knowledge of the case, contradicting his denials and those of Toni Abela, who said that the party leader was not aware of the matter, first revealed in the secret recording of Abela heard talking to Attard club committee members.

The club where the drugs incident took place however is not the Attard committee, and the PN has been adamant not to reveal the location of the incident.

Abela himself was revealed, in the recording speaking to Attard committee members, telling them he was informed of this particular incident after a club committee member had physically disposed of the "white powder" [described in Maltese as 'blokka bajda'].

The PN have accused Abela of failing to report the matter to the police, citing the selfsame recording in which Abela says there was "no evidence to report" - additionally, the Commissioner of Police last week informed Abela that there were no criminal steps to be taken on the matter or on the contents of the recording itself.

The recording was produced in court by Richard Vella, formerly the barman of Attard, who was charged over a brawl in which Labour local councillor John Bonnici is involved: Vella presented the recording to the court, alleging that Abela is heard telling Attard committee members that he sought out a police officer at the Birkirkara police station, to quash a police report on the matter because of unwelcome media attention.

On his part, Abela has told the press that he intervened with the police officer to wrest away a report filed by Vella against an Attard committee member who had changed the locks on the bar, because the matter was a civil case, and not of a criminal nature.

In the same recording, Abela goes on to tell the Attard committee of another incident, the 'white powder' incident, which took place in another Labour party club.

PN deputy leader Simon Busuttil said that he appealed to the public to reflect on the matter: "Now we have proof that Joseph Muscat's politics are based on convenience.

"The political responsibility rests with Muscat and Abela, who did not report the matter to the police.

"The man who could be prime minister has been caught lying... if there is something that parents should be worried about, it's drugs. We expect the Opposition leader to take action about such matters."