We Didn’t Host Muscats But They Were Guests At Private Event, Siġġiewi Winery Clarifies
A Siġġiewi winery that was subjected to social media criticism after an Instagram post by Joseph Muscat has clarified the circumstances surrounding the former Prime Minister’s visit.
In the midst of a renewed wave of criticism over the Vitals-Steward hospital contracts, Muscat posted an Instagram photo of himself and his wife Michelle Muscat in front of a vat, with the former Prime Minister holding a case of wine.
“Great hosts at Ta’ Betta Winery,” Muscat commented, tagging the winery.
Ta’ Betta co-owner Juanito Camilleri clarified that while the Muscats did indeed visit the premises, they weren’t hosted by the winery but by a client who had leased the winery for a private function.
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“Apart from a fully operational state-of-the-art winery, Ta’ Betta Wine Estates is a venue which can be leased for private events which involve wine tasting or food-wine pairing,” Camilleri told Lovin Malta.
“Joseph and Michelle Muscat attended a private event hosted by a client at Ta’ Betta. So were the Muscats hosted by Ta’ Betta? No. Were the Muscats among the guests at a private event which happened to be organised by third parties at Ta’ Betta? Yes. The Muscats bought a case of Ta’ Betta wine before leaving.”
Repubblika vice-president Alessandro Dee Crespo claimed that the winery owners were “set up” by the Muscats.
“The owners didn’t know that these two contemptible people were part of a group that had booked their venue for an event. The owners of the winery are avid supporters of the cause for justice from the start. They attend our vigils and protests,” she said.
“They even hosted Maria Falcone free of charge when she was here in October. The Muscats bought the case of wine themselves, it was NOT donated, and they posed with it, and tagged the location to undermine their business. Typical Muscat. Snide and destructive. The only free wine these two drink is Petrus given to Muscat by the alleged mastermind of the assassination of a journalist.”
Repubblika president Robert Aquilina posted a photo of himself with Maria Falcone, sister of assassinated Sicilian magistrate Giovanni Falcone, during a recent visit to Ta’ Betta.
“Professor Juanito Camilleri and Dr Astrid Camilleri, as well as their staff, are excellent hosts,” he said.
Camilleri, who was Rector of the University of Malta between 2006 and 2016, has indeed often attended protests and vigils demanding justice for the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
In 2018, he even took part in a panel discussion on a documentary about Caruana Galizia’s murder by Italian media house La Repubblica.
Cover photo: Left: Joseph and Michelle Muscat at Ta’ Betta, Right: Repubbliak President Robert Aquilina with Maria Falcone at Ta’ Betta last October
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