Robert Abela Denies Being Asked For Immunity By Joseph Muscat Before Becoming Leader
Prime Minister Robert Abela has denied ever being asked for immunity by his predecessor Joseph Muscat in the run up to the Labour Party leadership election in 2020.
Former Nationalist MP and Repubblika lawyer Jason Azzopardi claimed during that former Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne had confided in him that Muscat had approached him during the campaign and asked him to guarantee that he would not end the hospitals concession and that he would protect him from any investigations.
Fearne, Azzopardi, claimed refused both propositions leading Muscat to back Abela instead. At the time of the alleged conversation between the two, Fearne was leading the race to replace Muscat, but he ended up losing the election to Abela.
Replying to Lovin Malta, a spokesperson for Abela said that the “Prime Minister declared in the most absolute and categoric of terms that no requests like those mentioned in the story were ever made to him”.
He added that “even if they had been made, they would have been wholeheartedly refused”.
“The Prime Minister has never and will never make any agreements that are not in good faith,” the spokesperson concluded.
While what exactly went on behind the scenes during those weeks in December 2019 is unknown, it is widely believed that Muscat had indeed lent his support to Abela, shifting the vote in his favour.
Muscat was also alleged to have attended meetings at Castille on behalf of Steward Health Care after Abela was elected Prime Minister. Abela has maintained throughout his premiership that he would not stand in the way of any investigations into the matter.
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