It is not true that Prime Minister Robert Abela and Justice Minister Jonathan Attard were in possession of information that they should not have had, the Standards Commissioner ruled Thursday.
He was dealing with a complaint filed by Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina who argued that, in a press conference on 17 July 2023, Abela and Attard had revealed information that they should not have had while a magisterial inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia was underway. According to Aquilina, this constituted a breach of ethics, went against the law and was an abuse of power.
In their reply to the commissioner, Abela and Attard said that no confidential information had been revealed during the said press conference.
In identical replies, the commissioner was told that Attard had written to the Attorney General to request a copy of the conclusions (process verbal) of the magisterial inquiry, and had been informed that the inquiry had not as yet been concluded at the time. Since the most recent extension of a month had expired, the magistrate had to prepare a report indicating the reason why there had been this delay.
The commissioner said it is not correct to say that Abela and Attard had information they should not have had. A simple mathematical calculation enabled them to reach the conclusion that the inquiry would not have been concluded in time.
In this respect, the commissioner found no fault in Abela and Attard knowing that the magisterial inquiry, at the time, had not been concluded.