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Karl Schembri
A mocking Labour leader yesterday dismissed John Dalli’s resignation and the Prime Minister’s reply as “an incredible whitewash”, claiming that the government was treating the people as “morons.”
“The way this case has been handled is an insult to the people,” Alfred Sant said at a press conference called in reaction to Dalli’s resignation yesterday evening. “They are treating people like morons. The people demand an explanation of what’s happening.”
Referring to Gonzi’s letter of reply to Dalli, Sant said: “What is this? We get this ‘dear John’ letter dated ‘3 ta’ Luluu’ (referring to the Prime Minister’s mistake – a possible indication of excessive haste – when typing out the date on his letter)…Gonzi says that allegations about IRISL weren’t substantiated…he says he’s taking Dalli’s suggestion to ask for an audit report about Tourist Resources Ltd, while at the same time he says he’s accepting Dalli’s resignation. So why did Dalli resign? Why did Gonzi accept his resignation? I can’t figure out.”
Sant asked who Dalli was referring to when he said he was backstabbed.
“Dalli says he was being backstabbed,” Sant said. “We always attacked him frontally, so who is he referring to? He mentions PBS journalist Ivan Camilleri. If I understand well, Ivan Camilleri forms part of an organisation that backstabbed Dalli…he’s Alan Camilleri’s brother – the Communications Coordinator of Lawrence Gonzi. So Dalli is accusing Gonzi of backstabbing him.”
The Opposition leader said he had raised the IRISL case “not so much because the PN would have winced in the face of an abuse of power” but because this regarded foreign investments.
“It (the case) undermined the trust in our country, rendering us a banana republic,” he said.
Sant claimed that he had further reports implicating Dalli, which had also allegedly reached Lawrence Gonzi, but when pressed to elaborate he said that he did not have any definitive proof of the allegations.
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