Robert Abela and the government MPs who opted to veto a public inquiry into the construction site death of Jean Paul Sofia have "lost their soul", Opposition leader Bernard Grech said on Thursday. 

Sofia died when a building under construction collapsed in Corradino in December, and questions have been raised about how the accident happened and who was responsible for it.

The government insists that a magisterial inquiry would be enough. An Opposition motion calling for the holding of a public inquiry, in line with the wishes of the Sofia family, was defeated in parliament on Wednesday.

Speaking in a televised message, Grech said that while some had hoped that the prime minister’s heart might be softened ahead of the vote, the decision to veto the public inquiry “turned all hope into rage”. 

“Robert Abela and his friends are not only heartless, but they have lost their souls,” he said. 

“Abela has lost his moral authority and the people are sending a clear message, they do not want Malta to lose its soul as well.”

Grech pledged the PN’s continued support to Sofia’s parents, Isabelle and John, saying that the party intends to stand up for truth and justice and defend the weak and voiceless. 

“Jean Paul Sofia is Isabelle and John’s son, yes, but he is my son and your son, he is the son of this nation and the nation has decided that it is going to stand up to those who trample over their children,” Grech said. 

The fight for justice would continue, he said, in the face of “frivolous promises” made by Abela. He urged more people to join in their support of the Sofia family. 

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola also expressed solidarity with the Sofia family following the outcome of Wednesday's vote, saying in a statement on Thursday that “the system is broken”. 

In a reference to the building collapse she wrote: “We need an honest assessment of what went wrong, what policies allowed this to happen, where we can do better as a country and what lessons can we learn to never let another parent mourn the loss of a child buried under rubble,” she said. 

“The first step in doing that is a public inquiry that can assess all the shortcomings we face as a country. That's how we start to fix things. By being honest with ourselves, by coming together, by enacting new policies and new laws. Not by covering up. Not by protecting those responsible. Not by defending the indefensible. Not by betraying the grieving parents of a boy who believed in you.”

Robert Abela must step down - ADPD

In a statement on Thursday, the ADPD political party also expressed its support for the Sofia family and called for Prime Minister Robert Abela’s resignation, asking who he was protecting by refusing to appoint a public inquiry. 

“It is clear that the Labour Party and particularly Prime Minister Robert Abela is very uncomfortable with this case. It is inevitable that people ask who the PL and the prime minister are protecting. What does Robert Abela want to hide?” the statement said. 

“It is evident more than ever that we are living in a country led by people who hold their personal interests and the interests of those around them before justice.”

ADPD chair Sandra Gauci said that Isabelle Bonnici and her family have won the support of thousands of people across a spectrum of political differences and in a normal country, there would have already been calls for Abela’s resignation. 

“It seems that the Prime Minister does not want justice to be done, and wants some facts to remain secret and forgotten as soon as possible,” Gauci said. 

“Malta deserves leaders who are able to distinguish right from wrong, the Prime Minister on the other hand resorts to sophistry to try and justify Labour’s stance on this issue.”

Acknowledging that the prime minister would not resign of his own volition, Gauci called on Labour MPs to “have courage” and demand that Abela step down themselves. 

“All the facts that Abela and his friends seem to be keen to hide need to see the light of day, for the sake of justice,” she said.