Karol Aquilina is resigning his position as shadow minister for justice pending court action over an incident while driving two years ago.

In a Facebook post, Aquilina said he had been notified of the police investigation, and while he would prove his innocence, he did not want this episode to be used by political opponents to deviate public attention.

He had therefore informed Opposition leader Bernard Grech that he was resigning from the shadow cabinet pending the investigation.

In May 2020 Labour Party presenter Karl Stagno Navarra wrote to the police commissioner to demand an investigation into what he said was reckless driving by Aquilina.  

He produced  footage taken a few months previously where he said the Nationalist MP appeared to be refusing instructions from two motorcycle police escorts accompanying a delegation en route to Valletta. 

In a reaction to Aquilina's resignation, Opposition leader Bernard Grech said this was an example of the high standards of the Nationalist Party and contrasted sharply with the way the prime minister was acting in the more serious case involving Education Minister Justyne Caruana, who had awarded a €5,000-a-month consultancy contract based solely on friendship and not qualifications or experience.

Grech stressed that the Caruana case could not be considered closed simply because the prime minister had admitted that a mistake had been made and terminated the contract.

The country needed to turn a new page by having mature, honest politicians.

Grech also announced that Gozitan MP Joe Ellis, recently elected to parliament in a casual election, is to serve as shadow minister for justice. Robert Cutajar will be secretary of the PN parliamentary group, a position Aquilina has also stepped down from. 

In a reaction, the Labour Party said Aquilina’s resignation cannot be taken seriously.