The government is investigating Nationalist MP Toni Bezzina over absenteeism in his public sector job, Robert Abela has said.
“The Public Works Department is investigating Toni Bezzina to see for how long he hasn’t been turning up for work,” the prime minister said.
Over the past few weeks, Abela has repeatedly claimed that several Nationalist MPs have neglected their government jobs, often singling out Bezzina, the PN’s agriculture spokesperson, who is employed as an architect at the Public Works Department.
“I have said it several times, and I will keep on repeating it because I have the facts at hand and he [Bezzina] hasn’t gone to work for a number of years. He uses his parliamentary authority to prevent action being taken against him. That, in my opinion, is a big mistake which will no longer be tolerated.”
When asked what steps the government will take against Bezzina, Abela was not specific, saying: “The appropriate measures will be decided by those taking the decisions on the matter.”
“Just because a person is an MP does not mean he is given privileged treatment over other workers,” Abela added.
MPs should serve as role models and refrain from carrying out private work such as submitting and defending planning applications during government time, he said.
He uses his parliamentary authority to prevent action being taken against him
'All invented allegations'
After Abela first made the claims about the Nationalist MP in November, Bezzina denied any wrongdoing.
“These are all invented allegations coming from the Labour Party to divert attention from the fraud of Clayton Bartolo and Clint Camilleri,” Bezzina said when contacted in November.
Bezzina rejected Abela’s claims that he failed to show up for work, accusing the Labour Party of fabricating allegations to shift public focus from the job scandal that surfaced recently.
New questions have been sent to Bezzina.
Opposition Leader Bernard Grech defended Bezzina and other Nationalist MPs, saying last month that he has “absolute trust” in them.
“I have complete trust. They have assured me that they carry out their work as they should,” Grech said.
Grech described the claims as another diversionary tactic by the Labour government, comparing them to previous accusations against fellow MP Karol Aquilina and the former minister Giovanna Debono.