Opposition says suppliers of concrete must shoulder responsibility

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil insisted that individuals who supplied the concrete must pay for their actions. He delivered his speech late in the evening after the Speaker ruled that the energy minister had tabled in parliament the necessary documents.

The parliamentary debate, which lasted until 10.30pm, was however characterised by cheers and booing as a number of MPs, including backbencher Joe Debono Grech, made their interventions.

“Those who failed to deliver must shoulder responsibility. The Opposition is clear that responsibility must be shouldered by anyone who committed something wrong and steps should be taken for the fraudulent activity,” Busuttil said.

An independent inquiry found that “the widespread failings uncovered by the present day technical reports indicates that the pervasive weak concrete found in the site is a result of intended fraudulent actions”.

Busuttil went on to point out that one of the concrete suppliers was “close to John Dalli” – referring to Bastjan Dalli of Mixer Ltd – and another supplier “who built the Centru Nazzjonali Laburista.”

Busuttil questioned why former PN minister John Dalli “was barely mentioned in the report who today is a consultant to the government”. Referring to the inquiry, Busuttil said that a witness told the board that it was Dalli who started bringing in subcontractors when he became minister.

He asked the government how it intends on paying the €35 million needed for the repair works: “Surely it shouldn’t be the taxpayers the ones to make good.”

Busuttil accused the government of having been more interested in mud-slinging rather than seeking the truth: “It was intent on blaming me, when I was merely a University student. And what sort of inquiry is this when information was repeatedly leaked to the media. What quality of arms is this when the opposition is not kept abreast? Why this lack of transparency?”

Accusing the government of being “incompetent”, Busuttil said the government had already given up on seeking remedies. Today the government said it was putting together a legal team to seek remedies.

The PN leader asked what the former Labour PM Alfred Sant had to say about it: “If Alfred Sant wanted to construct two other floors, what did the report commissioned by Sant say? What happened in those two years? So Michael Farrugia [health minister in 1996-1998] doesn’t shoulder any responsibility?”

“Muscat wants me to shoulder responsibility but he is not ready to shoulder responsibility over Café Premier,” he said.

Reacting, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that it had become an Opposition trait to resort to attacking “the messenger” because they didn’t like the message, referring to questions raised by the PN over Philip Sciberras.

Muscat said the government would be doing all in its power to seek redress.

“I can promise our citizens that we will be making sure that justice is made with everyone, not just over this case but including others.”