[WATCH] Labour expects ‘answers’ from Busuttil over Claudio Grech emails

Labour expects ‘answers’ from Busuttil over Claudio Grech emails

In a press conference convened an hour before the Opposition leader delivers his budgetary reply, the Labour Party said it “expected answers from Simon Busuttil” over Claudio Grech’s emails.

Addressing journalists from the government’s chambers at the Parliament building, the PL said Busuttil should “act like a leader and take a decision”. Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis and Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said the ball was in Busuttil’s court when asked whether they were calling for Grech’s resignation.

A collection of emails revealed that the Nationalist MP had met oil trader George Farrugia, who turned State’s evidence in the Enemalta oil scandal, on more than one occasion before 2012.

Grech, who before 2013 served in transport and infrastructure minister Austin Gatt’s personal secretariat, told the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee scrutinizing the Auditor General’s audit into the procurement of fuel at Enemalta, that he had first met Farrugia in 2012, when he decided to run for the 2013 general election.

The leadership of the PN – including Mario de Marco and Beppe Fenech Adami – has stood by the PN MP, saying that they had nothing to add to Grech’s statement.

In a statement Grech said he had "no recollection whatsoever of meetings/emails with Mr George Farrugia before the 2012 encounter that I referred to. That is the only direct interaction I remember having with Mr Farrugia. I do not recall the email and meeting that was referred to in MaltaToday and that took place nine years ago."

Zammit Lewis and Bonnici however insisted that it was time for the PN to take a position. Bonnici went on to point out that the PN leadership remained silent even when Chris Farrugia – the CEO of John’s Group – recalled that his 2013 meeting with Grech was on the same evening that the PN had organised a press conference in which the party hit out at the John’s Group in relation to the Enemalta oil scandal, which MaltaToday broke in late January.
“My uncle Ray Farrugia had contacted Bernard Pace, who worked with Austin Gatt, asking him why they had hit out at the company. Pace suggested they meet up, and Ray asked me to go to the Hamrun office. I went there and I found Pace, who suggested to me that we issue a press statement clearing our company’s name, and stating that we had had no business whatsoever with Austin Gatt.”

“We are still waiting for a reaction,” Bonnici said.

While giving a summary of four emails published by MaltaToday, Zammit Lewis said the Labour Party was expecting “someone to shoulder responsibility”.

“It appears that standards for Simon Busuttl exist for other but not for his team. We have heard so much about clean politics and that he wants to set high standards. So I ask him: since charity begins at home, and now you have the perfect occasion to prove yourself, will you speak of the case?”

Zammit Lewis said he was convinced that “Busuttil will remain silent because he is part of the PN’s past legacy”.

“The PN might accuse is of being hostage to businesses … but Busuttil is clearly an hostage to Claudio Grech and Austin Gatt.”