Abela slams ‘malicious and misogynistic’ leak of Cutajar Whatsapp chats

Prime Minister Robert Abela has slammed the “malicious and misogynistic” manner in which Whatsapp conversations between MP Rosianne Cutajar and alleged Daphne Caruana Galizia murder mastermind Yorgen Fenech were leaked.

“I am surprised how the Nationalist leader and the European Parliament President had no issue in associating themselves with the mysogynistic and malicious way that the chats were leaked,” Abela told journalists outside parliament on Wednesday afternoon.

In a sensational blog post yesterday, author Mark Camilleri published Cutajar’s unredacted intimate chats with Fenech. The chats were made public ust 24 hours before he faced Cutajar in court in a libel case the MP had filed against him. The chats suggest a very intimate relationship between Fenech and Cutajar as they flirt with each other.

Most of the information contained in the chats was already flagged in past reports dealing with Cutajar's conflict of interest as a result of her secretive intimate relationship with Fenech.

Asked whether he felt Cutajar should stepdown as MP, the Prime Minister said she already paid the “highest political price” when she resigned as parliamentary secretary for reforms two years ago.

“I don’t believe she should be made to pay a second time,” Abela said.

The Prime Minister said Camilleri kept the chats for a long time, and published them “deliberately at a specific time in Rosianne Cuatajar’s life” to cause the worst possible damage.

“He did so despite a court order banning the publication of such messages,” he said.

Abela skirted around questions on whether he spoke to Cutajar following Tuesday’s leak, insisting the MP has already paid the highest political price.