Speaker finds Energy Minister prima facie guilty of breach of privilege

Speaker Anglu Farrugia has found Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi prima facie guilty of breach of privilege and has referred the matter to the privileges committee.

Farrugia was handing a third ruling after Nationalist MP George Pullicino raised a breach of privilege by Mizzi during Monday’s heated parliamentary debate on the delayed construction of the power plant.

During Tuesday’s parliamentary session, the Speaker asked Mizzi to substantiate or withdraw accusations leveled against Pullicino.

However, Mizzi refused to do so, insisting that it was his “duty to raise shortcomings”.

Mizzi had claimed that “many businessmen talk about Pullicino behind his back”. Mizzi argued that he was referring to businessmen who had submitted their bid for a tender to install PV panels on public buildings’ roofs.

“These businessmen were disqualified because of minor administrative shortcomings,” he said, adding that the unsuccessful bidders had complained that the selection process had not been fair.

They also criticised the high amount of feed-in tariff.

The Speaker however said that the documentation tabled in parliament by the Minister – in connection with the Alberta contract – did not corroborate that “many businessmen spoke against Pullicino”.

Defending himself, Mizzi said it was his “duty to raise shortcomings and table the documentation”. He said, that during Monday’s edition of Reporter on TVM, Pullicino had shrugged off responsibility and said the contract had been handled by the Ministry for Finance and the Malta Resources Authority.

Mizzi was however stopped by the Speaker who warned him that his ruling was final.

“This ruling is decided and I am not going to change anything,” Farrugia said, aptly commenting that this year must have registered “a record of rulings”.

The Speaker was reacting to further point of orders raised by the Opposition sides. At one point, Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella raised a breach of privilege against Pullicino. He said that Pullicino should substantiate or withdraw statements that Pullicino was “cleaners than the Labour parliamentary group put together”.

Pullicino agreed to withdraw the comments, saying that he was going to defend himself and prove himself clean, “without any comparison to anyone”.

The former resources minister also said that he reserved the right to take action outside parliament.

Speaker asked to investigate ONE reporter

A few minutes later, Pullicino walked back into the Chamber and asked Speaker Anglu Farrugia to investigate a second breach of privilege against him after a ONE news reporter did not stand in the area designated for the press outside the parliament’s building.

Pullicino said that the reporter pressed him for comments and chased after him “despite clearly seeing that I was on the phone”.

He proceeded to ask a police officer to take down her details because he didn't know the reporter's name.