Police ordered TM to give Jason Azzopardi reserved parking… it miffed Labour’s Emanuel Cuschieri

Labour propagandist Emanuel Cuschieri went all hot under the collar after he ‘discovered’ that Jason Azzopardi has a reserved parking spot in Sliema. 

In rabble-rousing comments on Facebook last Friday, Cuschieri took aim at the authorities for affording the lawyer this privilege. He continued his criticism of the authorities on Saturday, questioning the rationale behind the decision.

But the truth is that it was the police that ordered Transport Malta to give Azzopardi a reserved parking spot after an assessment found he is a high-risk target. 

Sources with knowledge of the case said the risk assessment established that the lawyer was subject to a high threat level, leading the police to take several security measures. 

One of these measures was the reserved parking spot on the Sliema front where Azzopardi lives. 

When contacted by MaltaToday, Azzopardi confirmed the reserved parking spot was his and that it was a police decision based on their security assessment. He refrained from commenting further. 

Cuschieri’s comments, couched in his traditional questioning method that ended with the rallying cry, “we demand answers”, prompted a barrage of vitriolic comments against TM and the government from Labour sympathisers. 

Emanuel Cuschieri's incendiary Facebook post

Cuschieri’s tactics were denounced by former Repubblika president Robert Aquilina. Cuschieri should ask “his friend [police commissioner] Anglu Gafa”, Aquilina hit back. 

“You have to be cruel and irresponsible to play around with people’s security,” Aquilina wrote, adding he expected Prime Minister Robert Abela to rein Cuschieri in.

The attack on Azzopardi continued on Saturday with Labour executive member and special delegate Jason Micallef joining the fray and criticising the authorities for the decision to authorise a reserved parking spot.

Azzopardi represents the family of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia as parte civile lawyer in criminal proceedings related to the assassination. Three hitmen have already been found guilty, while Yorgen Fenech is soon to stand trial on accusations that he masterminded the murder. 

Another two men have ongoing criminal proceedings against them on charges that they supplied the bomb that killed the journalist. 

But Azzopardi has also fronted several cases in which corruption by former public officials and politicians is alleged. He had drawn up Repubblika’s indictment of the Vitals hospitals deal that kick-started the magisterial inquiry. 

The inquiry led to corruption charges being filed against former prime minister Joseph Muscat, his chief of staff Keith Schembri and former minister Konrad Mizzi among others. 

Azzopardi recently obtained two magisterial inquiries into alleged corruption rackets at Identity Malta and the local enforcement agency, LESA. These investigations are ongoing. 

But the self-styled anti-corruption crusader fell on his sword last week, when a magistrate found him guilty of defaming former minister Carmelo Abela and ordered him to pay libel damages. Azzopardi had claimed Abela was an accomplice in the HSBC heist of 2010, an allegation purportedly floated by one of the criminals involved in the case. Azzopardi said he will appeal the decision. 

Recently, in an interview with Lovin Malta, Azzopardi said he did fear for his life but vowed to continue his crusade against corruption.