Prime Minister Robert Abela should deny an allegation that he instructed police who they should interrogate in the Vitals inquiry, otherwise he should resign, Repubblika said on Sunday.
In a statement, the rule-of-law NGO referred to an article published in MaltaToday that quoted “internal sources including senior ministers” who claimed that Abela had directed senior police officials not to interrogate individuals mentioned in the hospital corruption inquiry, in an attempt to protect former prime minister Joseph Muscat.
“We are not shocked by this allegation because, as we have long stated, the decisions of the police and the Attorney General in corruption cases make neither legal nor logical sense, but only make sense because they suit the government and the Labour Party.”
Repubblika said that in criminal cases, the prime minister has no right to give instructions to the police, let alone when his friends are suspects in the crimes being investigated.
“These senior ministers are describing a blatant abuse of power, illegal conduct by a prime minister to protect criminal friends of his.”
Repubblika criticised the ministers who witnessed the abusive and illegal behaviour for hiding behind anonymity.
“We call on the prime minister to deny the allegation that he gave instructions to the police on who they should or should not interrogate and who they should or should not bring to court.
“If he does not do so, he should resign before nightfall”, Repubblika said.