“Since 2013, the Labour Party has reasoned that it would allow these types of malicious and baseless attacks to continue without direct intervention. That was a mistake. The line has now been completely crossed, and I will not allow any Nationalist Party member or anyone conspiring with them to continue abusing magisterial inquiries or subjecting people to the ordeal of unnecessary judicial proceedings,” he wrote a couple of hours after Azzopardi revealed his request for a magisterial inquiry.

“Because I act in accordance with justice, I have never been afraid, and I never will be afraid, of the forces of darkness. And if these forces think they can unjustly break a Minister and his family, they know that they will have to get past me first. From that battle, they already know who will win and who will lose.”

The Prime Minister concluded by saying that he has asked Justice Minister Johnathan Attard to immediately finalise the reform of magisterial inquiries “so that this abuse is put to an end once and for all”.

Abela is referring to accusations made earlier today regarding a corrupt racket unjustly granting individuals highly sought-after mooring spots at Gozo’s Mġarr port and government jobs through a network of bribery.

Azzopardi said Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri’s wife and top manager at the Transport Ministry, Deborah Camilleri, played a central and active role in enabling the corruption network.

He further accused Deborah Camilleri of doing private legal work during her working hours at Transport Malta. Azzopardi claimed that she would often attend court sittings while she was supposed to be at the Gozo office.

However, Abela directly responded to this allegation saying that when she carried out this private work, it was either outside her official working hours, or when she took statutory leave and was authorised by her superior.

What’s your take on this whole ordeal?

Featured image of Mġarr marine: Marine Project