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'Labour government in clear breach of ethics' – PN
PN states Labour is in breach of ethics after video shows Mercieca conducting surgeries during the week.
10 June 2013, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
2 min read
Parliamentary secretary Franco Mercieca made 3,600 from surgeries conducted in breach of a waiver granted to him by the Prime Minister.
The Nationalist Party criticised the Labour government this morning, saying it was in clear breach of ethics when it allowed parliamentary secretary Franco Mercieca to carry out nine operations which led to him earning €3,600 while he was supposed to be attending to his duty.
PN said that instead of taking steps to see to this unethical behaviour, the government was defending Mercieca, an ophthalmic surgeon, who acted against the waiver Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had issued, which stated Mercieca would be allowed to do limited work to ensure patients did not suffer. However, they said, Mercieca was also doing work that can be carried out by other people, and was operating during the week.
PN leader Simon Busuttil said this was an example of Muscat's political hypocrisy.
"He criticised the Nationalist government about the raise in honoraria for ministers and parliamentary secretaries and is now letting a member of the Cabinet break the code of ethics," said Busuttil.
In an undercover video filmed by the Sunday Times at the St James Hospital, it was revealed that Mercieca on Wednesday carried our three cataract operations and six cosmetic laser eye-correction operations between 7am and 1pm, for a total of €3,600 for his half day's work.
Mercieca had previously claimed was only following up patients he operated upon before becoming parliamentary secretary and who needed further medical assistance, such as further cataract interventions. "If I operate on a Sunday instead of visiting a band club to see my constituents, I am (still) a full-time parliamentary secretary," he had said.
In a statement, Mercieca yesterday said that the work he was carrying out included phakic implants and cornea cross-linking operations which he said only he could perform. "With reference to cataracts, I am only operating previously-seen patients," Mercieca said.
The junior minister said that he was one of only two local specialists who carry out laser surgery. "I am currently training another person to carry out these surgeries. It is my responsibility to make sure that this training is done without haste and in the most efficient of manners."
Mercieca has also threatened the Sunday Times of Malta with libel, claiming the newspaper carried false information and inaccuracies.
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Joseph Muscat has more then enough bright boys to choose from, Franco Mercieca is not ideal for the PS post for the elderly simply because he certainly cannot dedicate enough time to keep up with the demands of a vulnerable section of society. He is also Based in Gozo besides being a busy surgeon. SVDP is a shambles and needs a highly hands on person as PS responsible for it.
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Should we start to list of breach of ethics committed by the PN 2008-2013, it will take much more than this column would allow. So please, PN, shut up. If you live in a glass house you cannot afford to throw stones.
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A BREACH OF ETHICS OF WHOM? THE CODE OF ETHICS WAS CREATED BY THE PN FOR THE PN, BREACHED CONSTANTLY BY THE PN, DOWNTRODDEN BY THE PN AND ABUSED OUTRIGHT BY THE PN. SO HOW CAN THEY NOW COME FORWARD AND IMPOSE THEIR DERELICT CODE OF ETHICS ON A GOVERNMENT HAVING THE ABSOLUTE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE. JUST SHUT UP AND PRAY THAT THE WHISTLEBLOWER ACT, ONCE IN PLACE, DOES NOT RESULT IN MOST EX-PN MINISTERS GOING TO JAIL - AS THE MAJORITY OF THE MALTESE HOPE AND PRAY.
Emmanuel Mallia •
What is a breach of ethics against a totalitarian, dictatorship, governing without parliamentary majority of the GONZIPN regime !!And what is worse, is that he considered himself as a Catholic prime minister !!
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Dr Simon, I wish to know how many times including your ex Prime Minister broke the code of ethics. No one in the Nationalist Party can speak about political hypocrisy, because you were surrounded with these people all along, but being Nationalist they did whatever they liked including Directors collecting RENTS/filing of Income Tax Returns/doing political work for the Nationalist Party/being drunk/ going to entertain their flesh needs during office hours, and you speak of hypocrisy. Do you think by this attitude you going to get your lost sheep BACK?
