Former PN Leader Simon Busuttil Takes Panama Papers Feud To European Court Of Human Rights
Former PN leader Simon Busuttil has announced he will file a case at the European Court of Human Rights after the Maltese courts turned down his request to recuse a judge from a case on the Panama Papers.
“The principle at stake is too important to give up, I will therefore take this struggle for justice to the European Court of Human Rights,” he tweeted.
The principle at stake is too important to give up. I will therefore take this struggle for #justice to the European Court of Human Rights. https://t.co/VFlzW03yzY
— Simon Busuttil (@SimonBusuttil) October 29, 2018
Soon after last year’s election, Busuttil requested a wide-ranging magisterial inquiry into money laundering allegations stemming from the Panama Papers. The request included seven suspects – Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, his chief of staff Keith Schembri, Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi, Nexia BT partners Brian Tonna and Karl Cini, Kasco managing director Malcolm Scerri and former Allied Newspapers managing director Adrian Hillman.
Magistrate Ian Farrugia accepted his request, but the seven suspects immediately appealed it and this appeal was assigned to Judge Antonio Mizzi. However, Busuttil demanded the judge’s recusal on the grounds that his marriage to Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi gives him a potential conflict of interest in the case.
The Constitutional Court eventually ruled in favour of Busuttil but overturned its ruling today after the Attorney General filed an appeal. In its ruling, the Constitutional Court said that while the seven accused men could be considered victims in this case, Busuttil himself could not as every citizen has the right to call for an inquiry.
Antonio Mizzi himself is due to retire from the bench next month, meaning this whole legal charade is likely to be fruitless.