New Standards Commissioner Will Not Investigate Adrian Delia After Domestic Violence Accusations
Opposition leader Adrian Delia with Standards Commissioner George Hyzler
The new commissioner for standards in public life has confirmed he will not investigate Opposition leader Adrian Delia after his wife Nickie Vella de Fremeaux accused him of domestic violence.
George Hyzler, who was appointed commissioner a few months ago, confirmed with Lovin Malta that his office hasn’t received a complaint about the domestic violence allegations, which were filed in a court application as part of ongoing separation proceedings.
Moreover, he noted that his office is prohibited from scrutinising any issue that is the topic of an ongoing court case or police investigation.
Delia has received an outpouring of support on social media from Labour and PN supporters alike after Vella de Fremeaux’s accusations were made public and his personal phone was subsequently compromised, with dozens of intimate messages circulating around WhatsApp.
Nickie Vella de Fremeaux has accused Adrian Delia of domestic violence
However, behind the scenes, this episode has caused tremors within the Nationalist Party, with senior party officials, including people who have traditionally supported Delia, calling for the leader to resign to protect the party from further fallout.
The Labour Party has remained completely silent and the following two questions sent by Lovin Malta to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat four days ago remain unanswered.
– Does the Prime Minister think that these accusations, levelled against a person in such a position of power, tarnish the Maltese government’s efforts to clamp down on domestic violence?
– Does the Prime Minister agree that a stance of silence or of outright dismissal of Nickie Vella de Fremeaux’s accusations will discourage women suffering from domestic violence from coming forward?
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