‘Falzon can defend himself’ over Gaffarena report, PM says

The Prime Minister has published a report on action the government had taken in response to shortcomings identified by the Auditor General in its annual report for 2014.

Joseph Muscat, who has faced pressures over his government’s good governance record, said that the majority of the NAO’s recommendations had been taken on board, and where the recommendation were not followed an explanation as given.

His government’s actions have been the subject of various investigations by the NAO, amongst them the irregular expropriation of a Valletta building housing government offices, for property developer Marco Gaffarena.

But Muscat today insisted that the former parliamentary secretary who resigned over the Gaffarena expropriation, Michael Falzon, had a right to defend himself when the Labour MP claimed the NAO report had been a political witch-hunt.

Falzon reiterated his accusation in a public accounts committee hearing on the Gaffarena expropriation.

Muscat insisted that he would never shoot the messenger but said Falzon retained the right to defend himself as he saw fit.

“I will defend Falzon’s right to defend himself. Certain points raised in the PAC hearing, such as that referring to collusion with Falzon, had not been published before. The Auditor General confirmed that I was  unaware of this expropriation.

“As Prime Minister, even as Opposition leader, I always refrained from attacking institutions, as is fit for someone holding a constitutional role. The Opposition leader Simon Busuttil does not do this: yesterday he attacked the Commissioner of Police, the Broadcasting Authority, and the Attorney General.”