The Office of the Prime Minister said today that a court’s decision upholding the prime minister’s request for a warrant to stop Mark Gaffarena transferring properties given to him by the government was ‘the first step by the prime minister to continue to protect the people’s interests in this case’.

The properties had been given to Mark Gaffarena along with a cash amount as compensation for the part expropriation of a property in Old Mint Street, Valletta. The deal was found to be irregular by the Auditor-General, leading to the resignation of Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon.

The OPM said the court had rejected the plea by Mr Gaffarena that the prime minister could not institute the case, a plea which was similar to the criticism of the case made by Opposition leader Simon Busuttil. The court found that any MP could institute the case.

This meant, the OPM said, that Dr Busuttil’s claim that this case was ‘tailored to be lost’ was unfounded.

The Office said the Prime Minister would continue with reforms in the Lands Department and would continue to fight any form of abuse.

“It is a pity that in the fight against abuse, the government is seeing an opposition which is leading the defence of those who abuse, when it could have been the Opposition leader himself who instituted this case, the Office of the Prime Minister said. 

GOVERNMENT LIVING A LIE - PN

In a reaction, the Nationalist Party said the prime minister’s statement showed how he was living a lie, and he expected everyone to believe his lie.

The Gaffarena scandal originated in Castille and the Auditor-General had spoken of the collusion that there was between the Office of the Prime Minister and Mr Gaffarena.

Whatever Dr Muscat said, the fact remain that it was one of his ministers who made Mr Gaffarena a millionaire overnight.

Instead of continuing this farce, it would be better for Dr Muscat to declare whether he knew about the scandal and whether Mr Gaffarena had paid somebody to get what he was given.

This, the PN said, was a farce from beginning to end, with Joseph Muscat even instituting a court case against himself.

The PN would not be a party to this farce.

Court decision - http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160216/local/court-upholds-muscats-request-for-injunction-against-mark-gaffarena.602666