[WATCH] Refalo denies knowledge of undue influence in Gozo drugs case

Anton Refalo denies knowledge of Gozo drug case

Gozo Minister Anton Refalo has denied any knowledge of a case in which a young woman asked to expunge her police statement in which she had implicated two young men in drug trafficking.

An inquiry has been launched into allegations that a person who was arrested in June 2013, asked to have her police statement changed three months later. The key change to her statement was that two men – which had originally pointed as having handed her packets of heroin – were not involved in providing her with drugs.

The statement was changed in September 2013, when one of the two young men was caught in the possession of cannabis.

The allegation is that the narrative changed when the parents of the two men met with two senior politicians.

In comments to reporters this morning following a press conference, Gozo Minister Anton Refalo insisted that he knew nothing of the case and he categorically denied being one of the two senior politicians.

When pressed again by MaltaToday, Refalo said that one was allowed to change their statements to the police, but all statements have to be presented in court.

He rubbished suggestions that the problem of drug trafficking in Gozo was out-of-control, insisting that it was the same as Malta’s. He added that enforcement by the police was not his responsibility – but that of the Home Affairs Ministry – and the Gozo Ministry was more focused on educating children that drugs are bad.