Malta’s two main political parties are “in collusion” with leaders who act similarly and have similar aspirations for the country, Partit Demokratiku has charged.

In its reaction to the Egrant inquiry findings, the PD said it was convinced that there was “much more than meets the eye” to press conferences held by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Adrian Delia.

Dr Muscat held a press conference on Sunday morning in which he highlighted conclusions from magistrate Aaron Bugeja’s inquiry into claims concerning Panama company Egrant and accused Simon Busuttil of having trumpeted a lie in an attempt to clinch power, “brining the country to its knees”.

PN leader Adrian Delia subsequently held his own press conference in which he said he had stripped Dr Busuttil of his good governance portfolio and asked him to suspend himself from the PN parliamentary group – a request which Dr Busuttil rebuffed, saying his party leader was “siding with Joseph Muscat”.

Dr Delia’s decision to immediately move against his predecessor was regarded suspiciously by the PD, which noted that the PN leader had acted before the inquiry had been published in full.

The PD emphasised that while Dr Muscat and his family may have been exonerated, the Prime Minister had kept Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri “close to him in the highest corridors of power” despite both having been opened secret offshore structures mere days after coming into power in 2013, at the same time Egrant Inc. was opened.

“We still need to know if the investigation has uncovered the owner of Egrant, among other things,” the PD said, noting that the inquiry conclusions shed no light on who might be responsible for falsifying signatures on declarations of trust, or why that was done.   

“In no way does the result of this inquiry exonerate the PM from the destruction that has occurred and is still happening in the highest echelons of our country’s administration, its institutions, as well as its character, and its natural and historical beauty,” it added.