WATCH: Fearne Cannot Vouch For Muscat’s Innocence, Pledges No-Nonsense Approach Under His Premiership
- If elected Prime Minister, Fearne will continue following legal advice on Egrant inquiry publication
- Konrad Mizzi will not be reappointed to Cabinet
- Police Commissioner will need vote of two-thirds majority in Parliament
- Open to monument for Daphne Caruana Galizia
- No pardon for murder suspect Yorgen Fenech
Chris Fearne believes outgoing Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was wrong to thank his former Chief of Staff Keith Schembri for his service upon resignation.
“I told him in fact,” Fearne said in a candid and wide-ranging interview with Lovin Malta, the first since he announced his candidature in the upcoming race to become Prime Minister.
Fearne pledged a “no-nonsense approach” to government if elected and stressed that nobody was above the law.
He has no problem seeing the investigation into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia through to the very end, even if it meant having to send Schembri or Muscat to prison.
Fearne said it would be the incoming Prime Minister’s priority to “heal the rift” that currently exists in Maltese society.
He said the Police Commissioner would need to be reconfirmed with a two-thirds majority vote in Parliament. The Public Prosecutor would have to meet the same fate.
Fearne stopped short of saying Muscat should step down before January 12th. However, he admitted he could not vouch for Muscat’s innocence in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia or its coverup.
“I do not vouch for anyone,” he said, when asked.
He also stressed that the Prime Minister’s decision to announce his “retirement” in January was approved by Labour’s parliamentary group, himself included.
Fearne, who is Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister, promised not to appoint former Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi back to Cabinet.
He was non-committal on Economy Minister Chris Cardona and Finance Minister Edward Scicluna, who are both facing an investigation on the Vitals deal. However, Fearne said he didn’t think there was anybody who questioned the righteousness of Scicluna.
Asked about the Egrant inquiry that has been withheld from full publication, Fearne said he had no problem publishing it once legal experts approved.
He also said he would give police all the resources they need to find out who owns MacBridge, a secret company in Dubai linked to possible corruption.
However, Fearne rejected the idea of giving murder suspect Yorgen Fenech a presidential pardon to expose what he knows about the Caruana Galizia murder or corruption.
Fearne also said he did not have a problem with there being a monument for Caruana Galizia “if certain sections of society wanted it”.
Asked about the repeated clearing of the memorial site facing the law courts, Fearne said he would seek to heal the divides rather than perpetuating them.
READ NEXT: EXCLUSIVE: Police Commissioner Will Face Parliament’s Chop If Fearne Is Elected Prime Minister
