[WATCH] Abela refuses to say whether he is comfortable with Muscat endorsing PL candidates

Prime Minister Robert Abela would not say whether he is comfortable having Joseph Muscat endorsing Labour candidates despite serious charges against him.

In the final days of this year’s electoral campaign, Abela was asked whether he’s comfortable with someone accused of fraud endorsing PL candidates. “Who are you referring to?” Abela asked.

The Prime Minister once again reminded the media that his predecessor and the other defendants in the Vitals case benefit from the presumption of innocence. He referred those present to previous comments he made about the timeline of the inquiry, noting that he doesn’t need to repeat those comments.

Muscat was among a number of high-profile politicians charged over their involvement in the fraudulent Vitals concession last week.

Abela was further reminded that when he became Prime Minister in 2020, he had asked ex-minister Konrad Mizzi to resign from the PL parliamentary group, in what was seen as Abela distancing himself from the previous administration’s bad apples. 

When asked if it was acceptable if Mizzi was endorsing PL candidates with Muscat, the Prime Minister said that before taking power in 2020, he said that he would continue the build on the good of the previous administration. Abela spent the next few minutes talking about the achievements and challenges of Labour administrations after 2013, refusing to answer the question once more. 

Abela was pressed on the possibility that his predecessor and other former public officials could be found guilty of serious crimes, and whether the endorsements send the wrong message to the public. 

“There’s a possibility that someone could be found guilty and the possibility that someone could be found innocent,” he responded. Abela once again pressed on the presumption of innocence, noting that the courts shall now decide the accused’s fate. He further appealed to “let the institutions do their job.”

The Vitals-related court proceedings are expected to continue on 11 and 13 June, just days after Malta votes for their MEP and local council representatives.