Muscat has ‘nothing to say’ on Franco Mercieca
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat refuses to make statement on Franco Mercieca’s alleged breach of the minister’s code of ethics.
11 June 2013, 12:00am
Jurgen Balzan
Jurgen Balzan
2 min read
For the second day running, the Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his government refused to make an official statement in Parliament over the reports of junior minister Franco Mercieca carrying out his private practice during the week, ostensibly in clear breach of a limited waiver by the Prime Minister to have Mercieca carry out his ophthalmological practice on Sundays.
After unsuccessfully asking the government for an explanation in yesterday's Parliamentary sitting, Opposition MP David Agius grasped the opportunity on seeing that the Prime Minister was still in the House and once again asked whether the Prime Minister would give an explanation.
However, Muscat repeated the same answer he gave yesterday and said he would not be making a statement.
In a snide remark directed at PN whip David Agius who was allegedly caught copying during his final year exams and Masters exam at the University of Malta, Muscat said: "The Honourable colleague David Agius has copied the question he posed yesterday and I can inform him that my answer has not changed. I have no ministerial statement to make."
Opposition leader quickly quipped "whether the Prime Minister believes that such a serious matter merits an official statement on?"
However, Muscat, who had returned to his seat after walking away, said "I will continue with my predecessor custom not to make a ministerial statement when a minister of his travelled on a private jet," in clear reference to former finance minister Tonio Fenech's trip abroad to watch a football match with businessman Joe Gasan aboard the private jet owned by the Tumas Group.
On hearing this, Busuttil retorted: "So does the Prime Minister insist in repeating something which was wrong?" However, there was no reply as Muscat did not have anything to add to his previous answer and walked out of the Chamber.
Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.
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Muscat is acting like a spoilt little boy. "It's *MY* GOVERNMENT, and I will do with it WHAT I LIKE!!!", he is probably thinking, as he stamps his feet and walks out of the Chamber. U leeeeeeee, f'hiex waqajna!!!
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Muscat is screwing up. Things are going to get worse.
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Of all people DAVID AGIUS !
Nationalist whip David Agius has evaded questions as to whether the example set by German defence minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg – resigning last week for having plagiarised his PhD dissertation.
Last year Agius was revealed to have been caught three times copying during his final year exams at the University of Malta. He was then caught copying again when sitting for an exam for his Master of Business Administration at the University of Malta in 2004 – when he was already a Nationalist MP.
Questions sent to Agius have remained unanswered, and further telephone calls not answered.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Copycats-resign-David-Agius-doesn-t-take-the-Guttenberg-test
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Dear Prime Minister you did the right thing "Proset"
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I think PM Joseph Muscat knows that he breached the Ethics Rule when he authorized Dr Mercieca to continue his private practice. Somehow Joseph Muscat is seeing himself above the law of the land and he is ignoring the people. Dr Mercieca made a decision to run for office and he knew exactly what the rules were before hand and so did Joseph Muscat. Dr Mercieca knew ahead of time that he cannot be both a politician and a continue his private practice. Having the PM waver such a rule not not hold both jobs is very wrong. The slogan quickly changed from: MALTA TAGHNA ILKOLL to MALTA TAGHNA BISS.
