Updated | Sciberras Trigona represents an ‘embarrassing period’ for Malta, says PM

Adds statement by the Labour Party

“Instead of rising to the occasion and acknowledging the consensual and responsible approach taken by those involved during this difficult period, the Prime Minister is again taking a cheap shot at playing petty politics,” the Labour Party said in reaction to the Prime Minister’s comments.

It said that, “instead of explaining how as the highest paid Maltese Prime Minister ever, he is going to take the country out of the economic mess he led it in, he is regurgitating utterances dating back 3 decades.”

According to the PL, Gonzi’s problem is that “the source of these claims is the same one stating that Malta - under his predecessor - was a hub of Libyan terrorists.

“If he believes one, he must believe the other too.”

Earlier:

“If I turn back time to the mid-80s, all I feel is shame,” Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said today. “It’s embarrassing that US President Ronald Reagan had seen Malta as an affiliate with dictators and communist parties.”

Speaking on Radio 101, Gonzi was referring to cables leaked by WikiLeaks in which then President Ronald Reagan had commented on Malta’s closeness with leaders such as Muammar Gaddafi, Nicolae Ceaușescu and Kim Il-sung.

“Looking back at the history of the PN I feel pride, but looking back at the times when Labour was in government, I feel shame,” Gonzi said. He added, that whilst countries in the mid-80s were fighting for fundamental human rights, Malta was seen close to leaders who oppressed their citizens.

“Even though this happened over 20 years ago, we cannot forget. At the time, the Labour government included Alex Sciberras Trigona and Karmenu Vella – individuals who Alfred Sant had removed from his side but who are now seen close to Joseph Muscat,” Gonzi said.

Describing Sciberras Trigona as a man who “represents an embarrassing period for Malta”, Gonzi said that on Muscat’s first visit to Libya he had taken with him Sciberras Trigona - former foreign minister under the Mintoff administration, and now the PL’s international secretary.

“Whilst I criticize Sant’s decisions regarding national matters, I praise him for having cleansed the Labour Party during his leadership. But that little good that Sant did has now been thrown away by Muscat,” the Prime Minister said.

“But Joseph Muscat is more interested in power and trying to pull back all those he can, rather then invest in meaningful politics.

“If I were Muscat, I would throw him out immediately … not because I have anything personal against him but because no one can erase or deny the fact that Sciberras Trigona is the author of several embarrassing moments for Malta which are still haunting us today.”

Gonzi said the US documents have historical relevance, which should warn us today: “What would have happened if during the last seven months Labour was in government?

“The Labour Party has a lot to be embarrassed about.”

Gonzi also criticized the Labour Party for not taking a clear and strong stand earlier this year over the Libya crisis but had waited until it was safe and clear that the time for Gaddafi’s regime in government was over.

“I am sorry that in our country the Opposition could have taken a clearer stand and it did not. It did not disrupt our work in helping the Libyans, but it could have voiced its position before, rather than waiting for the convenient moment.”

He recalled that Malta had taken a stand in favour of the revolutionaries from the beginning, even when Gaddafi was still strong in Libya. “We protected the pilots who defected from his regime at a time when most countries hadn’t yet condemned Gaddafi, when the no fly zone was not in place, when the situation was risky.”

Gonzi said he remembers how a few days after the defection of the pilots, he had received information that a private plane carrying eight persons was requesting permission to land in Malta.

“Whilst they claimed they were running low on fuel and needed to land, we had inside information that the passengers had been in fact pilots of Gaddafi’s air force, with aboard two technicians who were coming to take back the Mirages - which were laden with bombs.

“We did not give them the permission, even though it was a big risk for us. Today we look back and say our decisions justified our positions.”

He said that he had been criticized several times for not having let NATO use Malta as their base. “We decided to be a humanitarian hub where we could help other countries by providing other type of logistics and support.

Speaking on Alfred Sant’s claim that Gaddafi funded the EU referendum campaign, Gonzi said, “Sant’s credibility is 0”.

“Has Sant forgotten that Gaddafi criticised Malta and said that we had ‘abandoned our Arabic family, because Malta was Arabic and not European’?”

Gonzi said Gaddafi had told him face-to-face that Malta betrayed its Arab brothers for Europe.

He said, Muscat should have the courage to disassociate himself and the PL from Sant’s comments if he truly had Malta’s best interests at heart. Gonzi added that Muscat had never denied that the PL received money from Gaddafi, but had only said that under his [Muscat] leadership the party had received nothing.