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| Maltese authorities 'unwilling to investigate' powerful figures, Brussels delegation warns after visit | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The Maltese government has hit out at a Brussels delegation that has travelled to the island country to look for more information about the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. | The Maltese government has hit out at a Brussels delegation that has travelled to the island country to look for more information about the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. |
| The country’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the “usefulness” of the visit was “questionable” and accused the Members of the European Parliament of an “astonishing” and one-sided approach. | The country’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the “usefulness” of the visit was “questionable” and accused the Members of the European Parliament of an “astonishing” and one-sided approach. |
| The cross party group of MEPs travelled to the island this week for the two-day fact-finding visit after the European Parliament passed a motion in November warning that Malta’s law enforcement and judiciary “may be compromised”. | The cross party group of MEPs travelled to the island this week for the two-day fact-finding visit after the European Parliament passed a motion in November warning that Malta’s law enforcement and judiciary “may be compromised”. |
| The resolution had also called for an independent international investigation into the murder and closer monitoring of the Maltese authorities. | The resolution had also called for an independent international investigation into the murder and closer monitoring of the Maltese authorities. |
| The 53-year old investigative journalist was killed by a car bomb in an apparent targeted assassination; her reporting had been highly critical of leading figures in the island’s government, especially over revelations in the Panama Papers scandal. | The 53-year old investigative journalist was killed by a car bomb in an apparent targeted assassination; her reporting had been highly critical of leading figures in the island’s government, especially over revelations in the Panama Papers scandal. |
| Speaking at the tail-end of the visit Socialist MEP Ana Gomes, who leads the delegation, said the delegates’ meetings “led us to realise that the perception of impunity is very wide here”. | Speaking at the tail-end of the visit Socialist MEP Ana Gomes, who leads the delegation, said the delegates’ meetings “led us to realise that the perception of impunity is very wide here”. |
| She also described Malta’s cash-for-citizenship scheme as “extremely problematic”. | She also described Malta’s cash-for-citizenship scheme as “extremely problematic”. |
| The delegates, who come from six of the European Parliament’s political groups, met the country’s chief justice, Europe minister, the chief of police, and the PM’s chief of staff. | The delegates, who come from six of the European Parliament’s political groups, met the country’s chief justice, Europe minister, the chief of police, and the PM’s chief of staff. |
| Green MEP Sven Giegold meanwhile added that the delegation’s meeting with the Police Commissioner showed the authorities’ “high degree of unwillingness to investigate” and “partially demonstrated [their] incompetence to do so”. | Green MEP Sven Giegold meanwhile added that the delegation’s meeting with the Police Commissioner showed the authorities’ “high degree of unwillingness to investigate” and “partially demonstrated [their] incompetence to do so”. |
| “I am even more concerned over the rule of law now that before the visit and we must follow up on what we found.” | “I am even more concerned over the rule of law now that before the visit and we must follow up on what we found.” |
| But the Prime Minister, who was told by the murdered journalist's family that he was not welcome at the funeral, hit back, arguing that the cross party delegation was biased. | But the Prime Minister, who was told by the murdered journalist's family that he was not welcome at the funeral, hit back, arguing that the cross party delegation was biased. |
| “We are engaging with you as a sovereign state, because we believe that most of the information you were fed was partial, its analysis one-sided, and conclusions misguided. Because we have nothing to hide, as we already did previously, we are willing to engage, as we do regularly with Council and the Commission," he said. | “We are engaging with you as a sovereign state, because we believe that most of the information you were fed was partial, its analysis one-sided, and conclusions misguided. Because we have nothing to hide, as we already did previously, we are willing to engage, as we do regularly with Council and the Commission," he said. |
| “Unfortunately, the usefulness of this visit is rather questionable since many of you have already made statements and voted on a Motion for Resolution, before coming to ascertain facts. | “Unfortunately, the usefulness of this visit is rather questionable since many of you have already made statements and voted on a Motion for Resolution, before coming to ascertain facts. |
| “As you have noticed in your own reports, Malta’s political system and media are highly polarised. It is therefore quite astonishing that you chose to meet a very partial representation of public opinion.” | “As you have noticed in your own reports, Malta’s political system and media are highly polarised. It is therefore quite astonishing that you chose to meet a very partial representation of public opinion.” |