Bernard Grech has accused the government of seeking to bury the truth behind the death of construction victim Jean Paul Sofia.

Speaking in parliament, the Opposition leader said that when tragedy strikes, the authorities should leave no stone unturned to uncover the truth.

Instead, the government chose to bury the truth alone with those who lose their lives in construction deaths.

Sofia, 20, died when a large building in Corradino which was under construction collapsed during roofing works in December. 

His mother has been urging MPs to back her calls for a public inquiry into her son’s death.

While the Opposition has backed the calls, Prime Minister Robert Abela has insisted that there is no need for a public inquiry, as any wrongdoing will be uncovered by the inquiring magistrate.

Grech argued on Monday that the magisterial inquiry will not delve into certain aspects of the tragedy.

“A public inquiry should be held so we can learn from this tragedy and save other people’s lives. You should be ashamed for trying to politicise our support for Sofia’s mother,” Grech told the government benches.

Grech announced that the Opposition will be backing the government’s plans to introduce a licensing regime for contractors.

He said the Opposition will suggest further improvements to the law.

Planning Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi slammed the Opposition for failing to formally submit its feedback during the consultation process on the licensing regime. 

Grech batted away criticism, saying the PN did not need to participate in a process that had only been held in the first place due to Opposition pressure.

“We speak about the necessary solutions continuously,” Grech said.

He accused the government of protecting criminals while being heavy-handed with the weak.

Grech said the fact that a youth who had unfurled a Jean Paul Sofia protest banner opposite parliament had been hauled away by the police was a perfect example of this heavy-handed approach.