Bernard Grech Lambasts PM For Withholding Approval For Police To Investigate Tax Commissioner’s Phone
Opposition Leader Bernard Grech took to Facebook to call out Prime Minister Robert Abela for withholding approval for police to investigate tax chief Marvin Gaerty’s government phone.
A source told Times of Malta that Gaerty’s phone is a “pandora’s box of sensitive information”, as it is believed to contain an exchange with Abela himself about Bernard Grech’s taxes.
“Today we have the biggest proof that Malta’s institutions are being compromised by Robert Abela’s government,” Grech wrote.
“The Prime Minister allegedly has his own personal interests to consider when choosing to give police his approval to conduct the necessary investigations. This is because the investigation can potentially uncover the fact he committed financial crime.”
Prior to being elected as Opposition Leader, Grech had managed to settle around €30,000 in tax dues in a bid to bring his affairs in order.
“This is the state our country is in right now. Today we have yet another reason to believe that Robert Abela, together with his Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries are weak. This is the continuity that Abela promised to enact,” Grech concluded.
At the moment, Gaerty is on police bail as he was recently questioned by investigators from the Financial Crime Investigation Department over a conversation he had with Daphne Caruana Galizia murder suspect Yorgen Fenech back in 2014.
The two had discussed an outstanding VAT issue.
Gaerty had testified at the public inquiry into Caruana Galizia’s assassination last month.
Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi also took to Facebook to express concerns over Abela’s conflict of interest.
“Instead of asking the magistrate for permission to investigate the tax commissioner’s phone, who the police interrogated and arrested months ago, our authorities are waiting for Robert Abela’s permission,” Azzopardi said.
“They know that Abela has personal interest to not give this permission. This is crazy.”