Repubblika strongly condemns Prime Minister Robert Abela’s explicit threat to remove the right of citizens to ask a magistrate to collect evidence in crimes that the government-controlled police do not want to touch.
Robert Abela made this threat in response to an application by Jason Azzopardi for an inquiry into alleged corruption committed by the Minister for Gozo and his wife. Asking for an inquiry is not a form of guilt or innocence. Nor does the inquiry decide on guilt or innocence. Nor is a decision to initiate prosecution alone a determination of guilt or innocence.
But when the police ignore evidence in the public domain, citizens have the right under the law to insist that a magistrate collects evidence. The government now wants to remove this right.
We recall that without this right there would never have been the prosecution of Joseph Muscat over corruption in the sale of hospitals. This is in addition to other important cases that the government-controlled police ignored.
Robert Abela’s threat is a threat of backsliding of the rule of law that we will not tolerate and will resist with all our means.
We appeal to all citizens of good will to respond to the prime minister for this threat.