No sitting Member of Parliament was involved in the disability benefits fraud racket, Prime Minister Robert Abela told Times of Malta yesterday upon questioning.

The racket in question links former Labour MP Silvio Grixti to a fraudulent scheme that saw the granting of severe disability benefits to undeserving persons.

According to Abela, the police were informed of the case through individuals within Kastilja some time ago. Investigations within the claims are currently ongoing while an extensive Times of Malta report revealed the involvement of Grixti in the fraud racket.

“I am convinced that no MP in any way participated, or directed someone to commit irregularities,” Abela said.

The allegations say that nearly 900 people benefitted from a “coordinated criminal system” where they would be offered medical benefits of up to €450 per month for conditions they did not have – supposedly in exchange for votes ahead of elections such as the Local Council, MEP, and even General Elections.

Beneficiaries of the scheme would provide falsified documents which would then lead them to sit down in front of a Social Security board in Santa Venera. In a matter of minutes, they would be entitled to the monthly benefits, former PN MP Jason Azzopardi claimed in a recent Jon Mallia podcast.

What do you make of Abela’s comments?