Malta wrote a dark chapter in its political history on Wednesday. Perhaps one of its darkest. Parliament voted to ignore the desperate pleas of a mother who lost her son in tragic and possibly avoidable circumstances.

Robert Abela, in an interview the day after the despicable vote, performed all sorts of legal somersaults to try and justify the unjustifiable. He tried to position himself as an independent party, if not a victim in this tragedy, when, clearly, he is neither a bystander nor a target.

Jean Paul Sofia died on government land. This land somehow ended up in the hands of dubious characters who, with the assistance of an architect employed by the government, carried out works which led to the young man’s death. The government’s handprints are all over this tragedy. And this is, I believe, the most crucial point that the prime minister, wittingly or unwittingly, is trying to hide.

Abela cannot be his own judge. He cannot be the one to decide on the possible culpability of his government in the tragic death of Sofia. Isabelle Bonnici has every right to ask the prime minister to step back and let a public inquiry investigate the government’s role in this calamity.

Her pleas are backed by thousands of people from all walks of life, people from across the political divide. Well known Labour-leaning personalities expressed surprise and opposition to Labour’s vote in parliament. I am sure that there are many among those 40 government MPs who voted against the opposition’s motion who did so against their conscience and their sense of justice. Some of them wish now they can turn back time and vote differently.

Robert Abela is collapsing under the weight of wrong decisions

But not Abela. He remains unmoved and continues to ignore Bonnici’s request for a public inquiry. People, rightly so, are questioning his motive. They are seeing the makings of a cover-up.

There are no legal reasons as to why the magisterial inquiry and the public inquiry cannot happen simultaneously. They are different instruments that have a different purpose and will, or should, lead to different conclusions. I emphasise: different and not contradicting conclusions.

The magisterial inquiry will determine possible criminal liability of persons or entities who, through their actions, caused the death of Sofia. The public inquiry, depending on its terms of reference, should look at the government’s role from the start of the chain of events that led to the death of Sofia. It will seek to answer, through sworn testimonies, whether the government’s actions or inactions could have prevented this tragedy from happening.

In English law, the justification for a public inquiry is the existence of a public concern. I am sure that the prime minister, like the rest of the country, knows that there is grave public concern surrounding the death of Sofia. His refusal to provide for the ideal forum for questions to be asked and answered is condemnable.

Abela is collapsing under the weight of wrong decisions; his own wrong decisions. He cannot place the blame of this on his predecessor, like he did in the case of Vitals and Steward Health Care. This is a mess of his own making. The only way for him to get out of this quicksand is to agree to the setting up of a public inquiry.

He should set the terms of reference of that inquiry with the victim’s family. His role now is to give the initiative to others and allow himself to be judged. His role should be that of a facilitator rather than an opposer.

I am sure there are many within the Labour Party who are trying to put this very same message across to their leader. So far, he has refused to listen to a grief-stricken mother, to those around him, to the media and to thousands who took to social media to demand that their prime minister listens to them.

Will he change? I think not. Abela is hoping against hope that this tragic affair will somehow disappear on its own. It will not. This is going to snowball into something so big that it will tarnish forever the legacy of Abela’s tenure as prime minister.

Mario de Marco is the Nationalist Party’s spokesperson on tourism.