Standards Commissioner says PM did not unfairly influence Court case when asking for ‘strong message‘
Standards Commissioner, Joseph Azzopardi, has determined that Prime Minister Robert Abela did not unfairly influence the court case concerning Pelin Kaya’s murder when he advocated for the courts to deliver a “strong message” shortly after her death. A students organisation had lamanted that the PM’s statements amounted to interference in the legal proceedings. In January 2023, just four days after the tragic incident involving 30-year-old Pelin Kaya and Jeremie Camilleri, Abela expressed the view that the courts should convey a “strong message” in both bail considerations and eventual sentencing. In a reaction, the GħSL-Malta Law Students’ Society said the decision was a “missed opportunity to uphold a high level of ministerial standards”. (Times of Malta)
Human rights case dropped on a technicality A human rights case brought forth by 52 asylum seekers, who alleged that they were forcibly returned to Libya on a fishing vessel hired by the Maltese government, has been dismissed due to the non-fulfillment of a crucial technical requirement. The group, who were repelled to Libya aboard the fishing vessel Dar al Salaam, initiated the case in 2020 with the objective of seeking asylum and claiming compensation. In a ruling from the First Hall in its Constitutional jurisdiction, Mr. Justice Lawrence Mintoff declared that the documents designating lawyer Paul Borg Olivier as their special representative could not be validly presented in the case records because they were not executed in accordance with legal requirements. (Maltatoday)
PN insists on political responsibility following Sofia report
The Nationalist Party insisted on the “immediate” need for ministers to take responsibility following the release of the Jean Paul Sofia public inquiry report. The State was found responsible for the tragic death of Jean Paul Sofia, a 20-year-old who lost his life when a building under construction collapsed in Corradino on December 3, 2022. PN spokespersons stated that Ministers Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Miriam Dalli, and Silvio Schembri should bear their political responsibility and resign. Jerome Caruana Cilia, the economy spokesman, highlighted that a week has passed since the public inquiry’s release, and no one has yet accepted political accountability. He pointed out that other PL ministers had resigned for less severe offences, citing examples such as Godfrey Farrugia, Emmanuel Mallia, and Anglu Farrugia.
