The benefit abuse scheme which saw the Labour Party taking political advantage of vulnerable people is wider than revealed so far, PN leader Bernard Grech indicated on Sunday, although he did not give details.
“There are many schemes, which I hope in the near future I will be able to speak about, where there are abuses, and they are linked to buying votes. It is not acceptable,” Grech said in a Net TV interview.
Times of Malta earlier this month revealed how hundreds of people were, before the last general election, able to claim social benefits by fraudulently claiming severe disability using forged documents and signatures. At the heart of the scheme were former Labour MP Silvio Grixti and several government employees.
“It is unacceptable that people take benefits which they are not entitled to while eligible people cannot,” Grech said.
He said this corrupt practice was done to ensure that Prime Minister Robert Abela got people’s votes.
“Abela knew about this racket for more than two years and tried to hide it,” he said.
And instead of forcing the Police Commissioner to investigate, the government threw accusations at the Nationalist Party.
“When this fraudulent deal was revealed, Abela tried to deviate attention to us, claiming that PN MPs were involved,” he said.
“I then asked Abela to go to the police commissioner with such claims, but of course, he did not, as he was bluffing and lying. The reality is, if he goes to the police, much more dirt would come out on the people close to the Labour Party.”
Grech said the Labour government was mired in scandals and fraud, and whenever someone tried to speak out, complaints fell on deaf ears.
Grech’s vision for Malta
Grech reflected on the party’s Independence Day celebrations, and said it was a week full of “hope” in which the party was able to listen to people’s different opinions on how to make Malta a fairer and better country.
“Our vision is for Malta to have a good reputation once again. ...In the past few years, Malta has made international headlines for all the wrong reasons, Daphne’s assassination, corruption in cabinet…this has impacted our reputation.”
Grech said the PN had a plan that would help the country move forward, tackling issues such as the rising cost of living, the environment and ensuring that proper investigations were made when there was corruption.
“We want Malta to be a fair country, with a fair society and where there is no abuse. If you are entitled to social benefits and assistance, you should get them, but those who try to abuse the system must be stopped.”
He said the party also wanted to transform the country's economy into one that is based on quality and not quantity. A PN government would also prioritise the health sector and invest not only in doctors and nurses but also the medical infrastructure.
“The heart of our politics is you, the people. It is not the millionaires, the politicians or the corrupt, but you are at the centre of our politics,” he said.