Labour Party accuses Joe Ellis of Constitutional breach

Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri accused PN MP Joe Ellis of breaching the Constitution, by not disclosing his financial interests in companies providing government work.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Camilleri said Ellis had asked parliamentary questions about projects that his own company was benefiting from and argued that the MP should be made to resign.

It was reported by sister newspaper Illum, that one of Ellis's companies, Gozo Concrete Products Ltd. failed to pay contractors and salaries, whilst also bartering thousands of concrete bricks as payment to a contractor working on a public road project in Għajnsielem. Illum reported that Ellis refused to resign when asked to do so by PN leader Bernard Grech.

Camilleri said this case further exposed the hypocrisy of the Nationalist Party, and the weakness of Opposition Leader Bernard Grech.

“This is the hypocrisy of a Party anchored in the past, and if entrusted with the leadership of country, would take us backwards instead of forward. This is also yet another case where the Leader of the Opposition had to bow down.”

“It was revealed that one of the many companies he owns, was secretly supplying the construction material for a project within the limits of Ghajnsielem and Nadur. It has also been revealed that employees of the same company run by Ellis are missing out on their salaries,” Camilleri said.

Labour MP Andy Ellul said PN leader Bernard Grech is inconsistent and lacks credibility. “Once again, the Leader of the Opposition had to give in to pressure after Joe Ellis made it clear that he would not resign. Bernard Grech does not have the moral authority to decide.”

Ellul said Malta cannot afford weak and unreliable leadership. “The future of this country is only guaranteed by a government led by Robert Abela, who has taken the biggest decisions on governance, the pandemic and the economy to be in a position to continue to build the Malta we want for our children.”