Lawyer Pawlu Lia has refused to tell a court whether he represented Joseph Muscat in an inquiry concerning the privatization of state hospitals, arguing that he cannot do so due to professional privilege. The veteran lawyer told a court that he could not give a reply when asked whether he had assisted Muscat in an inquiry into Vitals Global Healthcare, the company that was given the privatisation contract. “As a lawyer, I cannot answer yes or no,” Lia told a court while testifying on Monday. Lia was asked the question by lawyer Jason Azzopardi, who is representing NGO Repubblika in its bid to have Lia’s daughter-in-law, magistrate Nadine Lia, recused from a case involving Pilatus Bank. Azzopardi claimed that Lia together with lawyer Charlon Gouder had filed an application to assist Muscat in the VGH hospitals inquiry. Madame Justice Audrey Demicoli allowed Azzopardi to ask the witness whether he had assisted Muscat. But the witness declined to reply. Repubblika has filed legal action to force police to press charges against top Pilatus Bank officials. That case was assigned to magistrate Lia, prompting the NGO to demand her recusal. The NGO wants magistrate Lia off the case...
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