Jason Azzopardi renounces Repubblika brief after PM turns on NGO

Shadow Justice Minister Jason Azzopardi has renounced his brief as lawyer to NGO Repubblika in the case it filed over the death of migrants at sea, to avoid being used as a “weapon” by the Prime Minister.

Azzopardi had recently hit out at “bullying tactics” by Robert Abela, claiming to have been singled out by the Prime Minister after the Nationalist MP filed a criminal complaint against him and 11 army officers, accused them of causing the death of migrants left stranded at sea, on behalf of the civil society NGO Repubblika.

Azzopardi was one of three lawyers who signed criminal complaints filed by Repubblika against the Prime Minister, the Commander of the AFM and others.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Azzopardi said that he was taking a step back from the case after consulting with his clients.

Azzopardi said that although he saw no conflict between his parliamentary role and that as one of the NGO’s legal counsel, the controversy was making it difficult for him to carry out both functions properly.

“In no way do I want my professional role as a lawyer to be used by the Prime Minister as a weapon to distract the public from the substance of the matter,” Azzopardi wrote.

On Tuesday, Repubblika had handed evidence to the courts which contradicted the allegation that an AFM boat crew had sabotaged a migrant boat at sea. The allegation, which was first made by sea rescue hotline Alarm Phone, had not been acknowledged or commented upon by the government until Repubblika filed the criminal complaint.

In a reaction to Azzopardi’s renunciation, the Labour Party insisted that he was responsible for the action being taken against the soldiers, the Brigadier and the Prime Minister and had “asked that they be investigated for wilful homicide and thrown into prison for life.”

The party accused Azzopardi of first making the very serious accusation of murder and then trying to hide after it was proven to be false. “No statement or word he says can ever clear him of blame for this repellent act, which was motivated by political hatred.”

It also placed a heavy responsibility on the Leader of the Opposition, Adrian Delia, to take “concrete action” against Azzopardi, said the Labour party, warning that the people and the members of the armed forces “would not forget his wrongdoing.”