Oppostion leader Simon Busuttil said today he is giving Prime Minister Joseph Muscat 24 hours to shoulder responsibility for the Konrad Mizzi scandal as expected from a European, democratic Prime Minister.
Should he not do so, the Nationalist Party would conclude that the government did not deserve to administer the country any longer and would give the people, who were angry and disgusted, a voice.
He did not say what kind of action would be taken.
It emerged on social media this week that Dr Mizzi set up a trust in New Zealand which acquired a shelf company set up in blacklisted Panama. The minister has admitted to the claims and yesterday asked the inland revenue commissioner to investigate him.
Dr Busuttil said that Dr Mizzi set up the company in Panama, a country known for money laundering, after he became minister. This was not acceptable and he should have gone to the police and not the tax commissioner.
He also referred to the news which came out yesterday that even the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, Keith Schembri, had a similar company in Panama as on the same structure as Dr Mizzi’s.
Mr Schembri, Dr Busuttil said, still had to confirm or deny whether he owned such a company but if he did, and it if was true that both companies were set up at the same time by the same financial consultant, it would be a very serious matter because it would mean they the two were colluding and the Prime Minister would know and might also be involved.
Dr Muscat, Dr Busuttil said, was acting as the defence lawyer of Dr Mizzi and defending those involved in such scandals.
“Is he an accomplice,” he asked adding that the Prime Minsiter had gone over the limit and that this was yet more proof that the Labour government had a corruption crisis.
What Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri did was unacceptable and should lead to their and Dr Muscat’s resignation, Dr Busuttil said.
He expressed solidarity with the media which he said was being insulted and intimidated and appealed to it to continue to do its duty and uncover the truth.