Labour whip Glenn Bedingfield on Tuesday took aim at Magistrate Gabriella Vella over a search she ordered at the home of former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat last week

He claimed in a speech in parliament on Tuesday that Muscat was being “persecuted”.

Bedingfield said the search was not carried out in a “humane way”, with investigators even searching the school bags of Muscat’s two children.

He also questioned how media and Repubblika president Robert Aquilina were also on site during the search last Wednesday.

The MP said questions also have to be answered about how Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi appeared to know about the planned search.

He said leaks to the media and NGOs should be investigated by the Chief Justice. “Should the judiciary not inquire on these actions?”

The Labour MP did not make any mention of the fact that Muscat too appeared to have been tipped off about the planned search, having even prepared a file for when police came knocking on his door.

Bedingfield also claimed that certain institutions, like the Standards Commissioner and Ombudsman, had been taken over by individuals close to the Nationalist Party intent on tarnishing the Labour Party’s reputation.

He said institutions should be allowed to work independently, with good governance principles applying across the board, not just on government.

PN: Bedingfield speech was attack on the institutions

In a reaction, the Nationalist Party said the Labour whip's speech amounted to an attempt to intimidate the judiciary and Prime Minister Robert Abela should act against him if he truly wanted to protect the institutions. 

Should the prime minister fail to act, he would be an accomplice in such an unprecedented attack, it said.