Busuttil stands by Bezzina after MP loses ‘PN works’ libels

The Nationalist Party has stood behind MP Toni Bezzina, who recently lost a libel suit in court after two newspapers said he had used employees of the Works Department to carry out private works at a Nationalist Party club.

But the PN today insisted that a departmental investigation into the allegations against Toni Bezzina had not found any wrongdoing and that “the architect made sure that the work was carried out after 1:30pm” – meaning after regular working hours, contrary to statements made by the Labour Party.

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil today also told the press that Bezzina should not resign because he had lost two libel cases.

“If the PL expects Toni Bezzina to resign because he lost a libel case, with that logic half the Labour MPs should resign too, including the prime minister himself, as he also lost a libel case this year,” the PN said in a statement.

The PN also insisted that transport minister Joe Mizzi should explain what steps he will take against the person responsible for letting in Labour media personnel to enter the government department where Bezzina worked, to carry out what the PN said was “political intimidation”.

Bezzina lost two libel cases against L-Orizzont and the Labour newspaper Kullħadd over reports of his actions back in 2012. Opposition leader Simon Busuttil has repeatedly come to Bezzina’s defence.

The stories alleged that Bezzina ordered his underlings at the Works Department to carry out maintenance jobs at the Żurrieq PN club. He then forced them to sign a declaration that the works were done on a voluntary basis. Subsequently, the employees changed their declaration and signed a second one at Labour headquarters.