Speaker rules against ‘urgent’ debate on ex police chief investigation

Speaker Anġlu Farrugia has ruled against an urgent parliamentary debate on former police chief Lawrence Cutajar, insisting this could prejudice ongoing police investigations.

Farrugia said that although the matter was of national importance there was no urgency to suspend the parliamentary agenda and discuss the matter today.

In line with similar rulings given by his predecessors, including Louis Galea, Farrugia added that a debate on the matter at this stage, risked prejudicing the ongoing investigation into Cutajar ordered by the magistrate’s court.

The urgent debate was requested by Opposition leader Adrian Delia in the wake of developments yesterday that saw the former police chief being placed under formal investigation.

Court testimony revealed how Cutajar had tipped off the middleman in Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder.

According to parliamentary procedure any MP can propose the suspension of the agenda for parliament to debate with urgency, a motion that deals with a well-defined matter of national importance.

Prime Minister Robert Abela rebutted the request, insisting a debate on the matter at this juncture could prejudice ongoing investigations. He insisted it would be a perversion if parliament turned itself into judge and jury.

After deliberating, Farrugia ruled against the debate.