Updated 10.15am
Former Opposition leader Simon Busuttil has been summoned to Valletta police station to be questioned on Thursday over the use of his car when posters were put up to mark Daphne Caruana Galizia's six-month murder anniversary on Monday.
I have been summoned to the Valletta Police Station, Thursday 3PM, to answer Qs on the alleged use of my personal car to carry these posters. Because, you know, for the Commissioner of Police this is more VIP than interrogating @ChrisCardonaMP or @keithaschembri @FbdnStories pic.twitter.com/H1idXL3UzG
— Simon Busuttil (@SimonBusuttil) April 18, 2018
For the Commissioner of Police, this was more important than interrogating minister Chris Cardona or chief of staff Keith Schembri after the revelations in the Forbidden Stories, Dr Busuttil tweeted.
Mock-movie posters featuring top officials including Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, his Chief of Staff Keith Schembri and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi were put up outside Castille, parliament and the offices of Pilatus Bank at Ta' Xbiex early on Monday morning, to mark six months since Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed.
ONE news subsequently reported that activists had used Dr Busuttil's car to get around the island as they put the posters up.
Dr Busuttil's partner, Kristina Chetcuti took to Twitter to say that she was the one who helped activists.
Dear @ONE_news_Malta - flash news - I was the one driving that car in Valletta with protest posters in the boot. It was evident to all, except you, it seems, that I am proud to be fighting for #justice in #Malta alongside many other brave women and men who #wontbesilenced
— Kristina Chetcuti (@KrisChetcuti) April 17, 2018
This is not the first time that Dr Busuttil has got into a spot of bother over his car.
In 2015 a full scale magisterial inquiry was ordered after the Office of the Speaker found that fuel consumption by his official car seemed high.
Nothing irregular was found.
PD REACTION
In a quick reaction, the Democratic Party questioned the use of police resources in this manner, saying it doubted that there were good intentions at play to uphold the law impartially and blindly.
"If a dissenter can be troubled so casually over a freedom of speech issue, while allegations of corruption at higher levels do not warrant a police summons, then indeed is it all well with the rule of law?"
PD said it supported Dr Busuttil in his endeavours to seek justice.
We have a Commissioner of Police who takes immediate action to investigate our @PNmalta MP @SimonBusuttil because posters were put up protesting for justice while 6 months on we are still waiting for #Justice to prevail on the murder itself. This is not a normal country.
— Adrian Delia (@adriandeliapn) April 18, 2018