Updated 5.35pm with PN reaction

Robert Abela accused the Nationalist Party of “persecuting” residents of a Siġġiewi social housing on Monday, despite the fact that a court concluded they were manipulated into switching their address to the government housing block.

Last week, a court ruled that voters were “shamefully manipulated” to change their address to government apartments they were granted in Siġġiewi even though they were not yet habitable. 

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech said the residents were induced into making a false declaration by government bodies who were thus potential accomplices in the criminal wrongdoing. 

She was ruling in some of the first cases instituted by the Nationalist Party against 99 people in what it had described as a case of “gerrymandering”. 

Yet, speaking to journalists, Abela brushed off the courts' concerns and instead pointed the blame to the Nationalist Party, adding how the party has been against the development from the beginning. 

"I am more concerned about the Nationalist Party persecuting the 84 families," Abela said.

“It is an opposition party which is indifferent to the needs of the group of people who require the most help.

“We are different from that. Because of those 84 families, we provided dignity, dignity through affordable housing. For me, that is the most fundamental point.”

Abela brushed off how the court noted fraudulent activities in the case, and instead accused the Nationalist Party of fraud, since it refused to publish its accounts. 

Abela also brushed off the timing of the allocation of the social housing, coinciding with the upcoming June 8 elections. 

“The court has made its decision. One can agree or disagree with it, but we must respect the decision,” he added. 

“What I can say is that those 84 families will remember what the PN put them through.”

Timing of Vitals magistrate inquiry can influence 

Abela said the timing of the publication of the conclusion of the Vitals Inquiry, weeks before the June 8 elections, concerned him as it could influence the public. 

He also said most of the inquiry happened behind the backs of people who are now being charged, and the same people found a “death sentence” behind their doors without knowing they were being investigated. 

Over the past weeks, Abela has repetitively slammed the timing of the publication of the Vitals hospital inquiry, stating it was not coincidental. 

“An inquiry that started over five years ago, another four years in front of this magistrate, closed the day we announced the candidates for the European Parliament and local council elections,” Abela said. 

Stop deceiving - PN 

The Nationalist Party hit back at Abela, accusing him of deceiving people after also deceiving voters to try to "steal" the Siġġiewi council, ahead of council elections. 

"The PL deceived and manipulated people, some of whom are vulnerable. The court has already confirmed electoral fraud, to the extent that it has called for a police investigation to identify the manipulation," the PN said in a statement. 

Despite this, and without shame, Abela tried to attack the PN which realised what was going on, said a statement signed by PN general secretary Michael Piccinino and spokesperson Ivan Bartolo. 

"The only person responsible for this persecution is Robert Abela who got voters into trouble."