PN leader standing four-square behind Zammit Dimech

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil and the PN parliamentary group are standing by Nationalist MP Francis Zammit Dimech, who in October will face charges of involuntary homicide.

No action against Zammit Dimech will be taken until the court pronounces its judgement on the involuntary homicide of 27-year-old Maksims Artamonovs  who died during the construction of the Seabank hotel in Mellieha.

In a statement issued on Saturday afternoon - a week after MaltaToday sent questions on the matter - the Nationalist leader said he had looked at the charges that will be brought against Zammit Dimech in relation to the tragic accident that took place in 2012.

“As Leader of the Nationalist Party, I would like to make my position public in full transparency,” Busuttil said. “I have reached the conclusion that, until the court pronounces its judgement, no action should be taken against Francis Zammit Dimech by the party.”

Busuttil said he had taken into consideration that Zammit Dimech was not involved in what happened in any manner whatsoever: “He was a non-Executive Director with no direct or indirect involvement in the running of the company that owns the hotel where building works took place.”

Busuttil said the MP does not occupy an executive role in Government: “It would have been different if he were a Minister. But he is not. There is therefore no role of responsibility to dismiss him from.”

The PN leader also said that the incident was not even remotely connected with Zammit Dimech’s parliamentary and political duties or even with his past ministerial duties and therefore dismissal from the party is not warranted.

“Francis is showing strength and resolve in this difficult time and I stand four-square behind him. I have communicated my decision to the Parliamentary Group which supported it unanimously,” Busuttil said.