The Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela has asked the Malta Police Force to start investigating him after the non-governmental organisation ‘Repubblika’ filed a criminal case against the Prime Minister, the highest officials of the Armed Forces of Malta and 11 other officials of vessel P52, accusing them for the voluntary homicide of migrants who lost their lives in the Mediterranean Sea in the past few days.
In a press conference late Friday night, Robert Abela confirmed that he a magisterial inquiry will be launched. The Prime Minister stated that he has a clean conscience, as his government has been doing its best to safeguard the health and well-being of the Maltese nation.
The Labour Government has decided to close all seaports, declaring them unsafe due to the spreading of coronavirus. “Due to the current crisis, the Government does not have the resources needed to rescue migrants and provide them with a safe place,” declared Abela.
Last Wednesday, the International Organisation of Migration confirmed that five migrants were dead and seven others still reported missing, after a boat of 51 survivors which was adrift in the Maltese search and rescue area was pushed back to Libya.
One of the lawyers representing the NGO ‘Repubblika’ is Jasan Aazzopardi, the Opposistion spokesperson for Justice. During yesterday’s press conference, the Prime Minister referred to Jason Azzopardi by name, declaring that the Nationalist Oppoisition is also implied since Azzopardi is one of the lawyers behind the criminal case against him and the highest officials of the Armed Forces.
However, on Friday morning, the Leader of the Opposition, Adrian Delia, visited the Armed Forces of Malta where he met the highest officials, and praised them for their work describing them as “Malta’s shield”.
Meanwhile, the European Court of Human Rights refused Repubblika’s urgent request to give an interim measure to the Maltese and Italian governments to leave the refugees who escape from Libya stranded in the Mediterranean enter both countries.
