The arraignment of senior figures accused of corruption in the Electrogas power station project would not have happened had current government plans to limit magisterial inquiries already been in place some years ago, the Nationalist Party said.   

Former Minister Konrad Mizzi, former chief of staff Keith Schembri and top businessman Yorgen Fenech were arraigned earlier on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to a raft of criminal charges linked to the project.

"Today’s prosecution is solely the result of the initiative taken by former (PN) leader Simon Busuttil, MEP David Casa, and former MP Jason Azzopardi, who, along with the organisation Repubblika, requested that a (magisterial) inquiry be conducted. For years, the Labour Party tried to ridicule the evidence presented in court by Simon Busuttil, even going as far as attempting to convince the public that their boxes (of evidence) were empty," shadow justice minister Karol Aquilina said in a statement.

"The fact that today the police have brought before the court those who were the right and left hands of former Labour Prime Minister Joseph Muscat clearly shows how the government and the Labour Party have made corruption a style of governance."  

Its MPs had repeatedly expressed confidence in Schembri and Mizzi in parliament and beyond, even when faced with overwhelming evidence of their corrupt actions.

But, he added, instead of apologising to the people or hiding themselves in shame, the government and the Labour Party were continuing to protect the corrupt by attempting to strip the people of their right to request a magisterial inquiry.

"Were it up to Robert Abela, the developments that took place in court today would never have happened," Aquilina said.

It was therefore clear that the Labour Party and the government remained controlled by the corrupt and were governing and acting in their interest, rather than in the interest of justice and the good of the Maltese and Gozitan people.