Repubblika files judicial protest on inquiry documents given to Muscat

The Attorney General has directed the State Advocate, an independent body,  to refrain from appealing a decision by Judge Giovanni Grixti to give disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat access to information in the as yet unpublished hospitals inquiry, Repubblika said in a statement today.

The NGO has filed a judicial protest on the “privileged treatment” afforded to Muscat who will get to see the evidence in his regard before anyone else.

Judge Giovanni Grixti ordered the Attorney General yesterday to present every document in the inquiry’s records about the former prime minister, arguing he could not reach a conclusion without seeing them.

The judge made that decision in a case Muscat filed, alleging that allowing a particular magistrate to investigate him breached his rights.

Repubblika said the Attorney General has twice refused to give the NGO a copy of the report despite the fact that Repubblika requested the inquiry.

“The Attorney General is not even trying to hide her effort to act as a bulwark for Muscat and sabotage the prosecution he faces,” the judicial protest stated.

“This morning, she already ordered copies of the relevant copies to be made of the inquiry report where Joseph Muscat is mentioned and deposited the documents in court before the deadline set by the Judge (already shortened) had even expired,” Repubblika said in its judicial protest.

Judge Grixti reduced the usual 10-day limit to four days to ensure Muscat’s lawyers received the documents before a criminal case based on them began. The accused can now view the evidence against him and fight it before the rest of the country can assess it.

Repubblika said this was “without precedent” and insisted the Attorney General must publish the full inquiry report without delay so the public can be informed.

The NGO said it would hold her personally responsible for going out of her way “to serve criminals instead of fulfilling her duty”.