Muscat ‘commends’ candidate’s decision to withdraw from race

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat once again “commended” Cyrus Engerer’s decision to withdraw his candidature from the European Parliament elections after a court of appeal found him guilty of distributing pornographic material.

Muscat was addressing the press at Auberge de Castille during a joint press conference with outgoing European Parliament President Martin Schulz when journalists asked the PM whether he “condoned Engerer’s criminal act”.

“The PN has two MPs, one of whom admitted to criminal charges and the other who was found guilty some years ago. Does that mean the leader of the Opposition condoned their actions?” Muscat replied.

He went on to describe Engerer as one of the country’s leading campaigners on LGBTI issues.

“In one year this government introduced the most advanced civil unions across the EU,” Muscat said.

He went on to add that there were “a number of coincidences” which happened to Engerer and his family once he switched to Labour: “The people can now make their own decisions.”

He went on to laud Engerer for putting the party’s interests above his personal political career. Engerer withdrew from the European Parliament elections race after a court of appeal convicted him to a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was acquitted last year of keeping and circulating pornographic images of his former partner, and of computer misuse.

Muscat also said that the government “respected the institutions” and he therefore did not interfere with the court’s decisions or what the Attorney General decides to do.

“People tell me things would have worked out differently under a different administration… we do not interfere with how the institutions work.”