“The institutions that are there to safeguard our rights deserve all the respect they can get. However, how can we respect an institution that instead of defending our society continuously undermines it?” questioned ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo who together with Deputy Chairperson Sandra Gauci addressed a press conference in Valletta on Saturday morning.

Sandra Gauci highlighted how the previous Attorney General, Peter Grech, was found wanting in that Malta was the only country where not only action was not taken with respect to the Panama Papers’ revelations but in addition he gave the criminals ample time to clean up their act when he stopped the Police from raiding the Nexia BT offices.

The situation with the current Attorney General Victoria Gauci is now worse, insisted Gauci. Just this week the Office of the Attorney General (AG) was in the news for the wrong reasons: the prosecution led by the AG failed to submit the complete documentation regarding a European Arrest Warrant which in fact led to the dismissal of extradition procedures with respect to a man wanted in Italy in connection with drug trafficking.

We have also had the case of the two lawyers accused of the attempted bribery of journalist Ivan Martin when the Office of the Attorney General ‘conveniently’ cited the wrong article in terms of the law which led to the Courts freeing them from the accusation.

The Attorney General had also been responsible for the reduction of charges against a criminal accused of attempted homicide of members of the Police Corp leading to a reduced prison sentence on condition that he reveals all the information he knew about the HSBC hold-up case. But he did not reveal any information and still benefits from a reduced prison sentence!

One must agree with the Chamber of Advocates’ insistence that Victoria Buttigieg should not have been appointed Attorney General in the first place, due to her lack of experience in criminal law. The mammoth deficiencies being exposed under her remit confirm how right they were!

It is time that Parliament, cognizant of all that has been taking place, requests Victoria Buttigieg to tender her resignation. If she refuses she should be removed, concluded Gauci.

Carmel Cacopardo said that institutions should be left to operate freely in the country’s best interests but not to defend criminal cliques. The performance of the Office of the Attorney General in the past few months in particular is of utmost concern because instead of facilitating that justice is done we have its obstruction. A month or so ago the Police Union had asked for Victoria Buttigieg to tender her resignation as Attorney General after having approved the reduction of homicide charges against a known criminal in exchange for information about the HSBC hold-up case. The criminal did get a very reduced jail term but he did not reveal anything.

Not only did she not resign, but Buttigieg has gone from one blunder to another. Parliament must take action now to remove her and appoint someone who will not continue to embarrass the nation, concluded Cacopardo.

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L-Avukat Ġenerali għandha tirreżenja

“L-istituzzjonijiet li jħarsuna ġustament jistennew ir-rispett ta’ kull wieħed u waħda minna. Waħedha toħroġ il-mistoqsija, imma,  dwar kif tista’ tirrispetta istituzzjoni li flok ma tiddefendi lis-soċjetà timminha b’mod kontinwu.” Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party huwa u jindirizza konferenza stampa l-belt Valletta flimkien ma’ Sandra Gauci Deputat Chairperson tal-Partit.

Sandra Gauci emfasizzat li kellna Avukat Ġenerali, Peter Grech, li ħa nagħsa twila b’mod li Malta kienet l-unika pajjiż li, mhux biss ma ħax passi dwar il-Panama Papers imma ukoll ta’ ċans lill-kriminali jnaddfu s-servers tagħhom mill-evidenza krininali tal-ħasil ta’ flus. Dan meta żamm lill-Pulizija milli jagħmlu raid fl-uffiċini tan-Nexia BT.

Illum kompliet tgħid Gauci, b’Victoria Buttiġieġ bħala Avukat Ġenerali għaddejna minn ġot-taġen għal ġon-nar. Din il-ġimgħa kellna l-Uffiċċju tal-Avukat Generali fl-aħbarijiet għar-raġunijiet il-ħżiena meta l-prosekuzzjoni imexxija mill-istess Uffiċċju naqqset li tesibixxi dokumentazzjoni kompluta  dwar Mandat ta’ Arrest Ewropew li filfatt wassal għall-kollass ta’ proċeduri ta’ estradizzjoni kontra raġel imfittex fl-Italja b’rabta ma’ traffikar ta’ droga.  

Kellna ukoll l-akkużi kontra żewġ avukati akkużati b’tixħim tal-ġurnalista Ivan Martin li dwaru l-uffiċċju tal-Avukat Ġenerali konvenjentement ħa żball elementari fl-artiklu li ċċitat bħala akkuża bir-riżultat li rabtet idejn il-Qorti li kellha bilfors tilliberhom.

L-Avukat Ġenerali kienet ukoll responsabbli biex kriminal jitnaqqsulu akkużi ta’ attentat ta’ qtil ta’ membri tal-korp tal-Pulizija biex weħel sentenza ta’ priġunerija mnaqqsa bil-kundizzjoni li jixhed biex jikxef lil kull min kien involut fil-holdup tal-HSBC. Imma dan spiċċa xorta ma xehed xejn u għadu jgawdi mis-sentenza ta’ priġunerija imnaqqsa.

Ma kienx ta’ b’xejn lil-Kamra tal-Avukati kienet insistiet li ma kienx jagħmel sens li Victoria Buttigieg tinħatar Avukat Ġenerali in vista tal-fatt li ma kellha l-ebda esperjenza fil-kamp kriminali. Il-frejjeġ li qed isiru taħt id-direzzjoni tagħha jixhdu kemm qatt ma kellha tinħatar.

Wasal iż-żmien, li wara li jiżen dan kollu l-Parlament jitlob ir-riżenja ta’ Victoria Buttiġieġ minn Avukat Ġenerali, u jekk ma tirreżenjax minn jeddha għandu jneħħiha, ikkonkludiet Sandra Gauci.

L-istituzzjonijiet għandna nħalluhom jaħdmu imma jridu jaħdmu fl-interess tal-pajjiż mhux biex jiddefendu klikek kriminali, qal Carmel Cacopardo. Il-ħidma tal-uffiċċju tal-Avukat Ġenerali tul dawn l-aħħar xhur, b’mod partikolari hi ta’ thassib kbir li min qiegħed hemm biex jassigura li jsir il-ħaqq qed jispiċċa minflok jostakolah. Xahar ilu l-Union tal-Pulizija kienet talbet għar-riżenja ta’ Victoria Buttiġieg minn Avukat Ġenerali wara li hi tat il-barka biex kriminal magħruf jitnaqqsulu akkużi t’omiċidju bl-iskuża li kien ser jikxef lil min kien involut fil-hold-up tal-HSBC. Il-kriminal spiċċa b’sentenza ferm inqas imma baqa’ ma kixef xejn.

Buttiġieg mhux biss ma irriżenjatx minn Avukat Ġenerali imma baqgħet għaddejja minn froġa għall-oħra. Hu l-waqt li jintervjeni l-Parlament biex ineħħiha u minnflok jaħtar lil xi ħaddieħor li ma jħammrilniex wiċċna ikkonkluda Cacopardo.