Watch: ‘Don’t Let Them Take Away Your Rights’ – Simon Busuttil Pleas For The ‘Civil Right’ To Request Magisterial Inquiry
During the first vigil of the year for Daphne Caruana Galizia, held on the 16th of each month, the event saw the attendance of outspoken individuals and organisations whose primary topic was the preservation of the right to request a magisterial inquiry.
Former PN leader, Simon Busuttil, opened his speech by recounting the events that lead up to Caruana Galizia’s death and the significant work she did before to uncover nationwide scandals.
He prefaced that inquiries into scandals such as 17 Black and the hospital deals, were only made possible by a “citizen like you and me.”
“The fact that someone can go into court and asking a magistrate to open an investigation into a crime that nobody is doing anything about, is a civil right… but the Prime Minister wants to revoke this right,” Busuttil stated.
Recent announcements entailed that the government had plans to amend the criminal code, effectively altering the way citizens can request a magisterial inquiry – an amendment which has since been tabled in Parliament.
“Don’t let him. Let us all not let him. I take this opportunity to appeal to everyone, all citizens of good will, all civil organisations and all political parties, even the Labour party, to not let this civil right be removed. Because today I need it, but, tomorrow you might too,” he continued.
Busuttil attributed these amendments, due to the government “fearing justice,” going on to say that the “Labour Party has become a refuge for political criminals.”
“[The Labour Party] has become scared that its own politicians will end up in the machine of justice,” Busuttil continued, “The government is yet to admit its faults.”
Similarly, during the vigil, activist Martina Farrugia, stated that since the Labour’s rise to government in 2012, the “state failed at its job,” making similar pleas, mirroring Busuttil’s own, to ensure the preservation of essential citizens’ rights.
“It took almost nine years for something to happen in the latest inquiry related to 17 Black and rest assured that nothing would’ve happened had it not been for brave whistleblowers and the tenacity of Daphne Caruana Galizia,” Farrugia said in her speech.
Busuttil concluded by addressing his third point, mirroring his first, that the only reasons scandals and controversies have come to light were because of “one woman, a person, a citizen, a mother.”
“Daphne was right,” Busuttil concluded, “You paid with your life for what you uncovered. We can never bring you back, but we can honour you by continuing the fight for justice.”
In attendance were also journalist Manuel Delia and Repubblika president Vicki Ann Cremona, who addressed Abela’s retaliation when two of his ministers were provoked in relation to the inquiries reform, saying “they have to pass over my dead body” to “destroy [his] ministers”, according to MaltaToday.
Cremona reassured that such extremes were unnecessary, however she added that “we will step over your institutional body if you touch that law.”
What do you make of last Thursday’s speeches?
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