Emmanuel Cuschieri’s singling out of a Vitals case prosecutor for simply doing his job is “despicable” and deserves “strong condemnation”, the Chamber of Advocates said on Friday.

Cuschieri, a talk-radio show host on the Labour Party’s station and a staunch Joseph Muscat ally, mentioned prosecutor Francesco Refalo by name and included his picture in a Thursday Facebook post.  

He was writing after that day’s court sitting, which centred around the cancer-treating cyclotron project.  

In court, Refalo and defence lawyers were engaged in a heated debate over whether the cyclotron project really existed or if the equipment was still in storage.

Cuschieri criticised the AG prosecutor, accusing him of casting doubt on the existence of cancer-treating equipment when the machinery was actually installed at the Life Sciences Park.  

“What happened in court was shameful” and “incredible”, the ONE Radio host said. 

Cuschieri also uploaded a picture of the AG lawyer and mentioned him by name.

Justice needs to be free from influence

Asked for a reaction, the Chamber of Advocates condemned Cuschieri’s comments.

“Justice needs to be free from influence and especially nowadays from social media threats,” Chamber of Advocates president Peter Fenech told Times of Malta.  

“While the Chamber respects everyone’s right to freedom of expression and, thus, the right to comment, comments inciting the denigration of lawyers who are simply doing their job are despicable and strongly condemned by the Chamber of Advocates,” he said.  

Refalo is the lead prosecutor in the Vitals case, in which Muscat, his ex-chief of staff, Keith Schembri and former health minister Konrad Mizzi and others face charges of money laundering, accepting bribes and other financial crimes.