PAC witnesses not obliged to answer all questions, speaker rules
Witnesses appearing before the Public Accounts Committee cannot invoke their right to silence at their whims but only if the questions are incriminating, Speaker of the House Anġlu Farrugia ruled on Wednesday. He said that witnesses can opt not to answer questions if they are facing criminal charges on the matter being discussed during committee proceedings or if they feel that they would be incriminating themselves by answering those questions. He was delivering a ruling at the request of Public Accounts Committee chairman Darren Carabott, who requested guidance after former Nexia BT partner Karl Cini refused to answer any of the questions put to him by the committee members on Tuesday. Cini steadfastly refused to answer any questions put to him by Carabott. Throughout the 35-minute hearing, Cini repeatedly said that he would be exercising his right to silence. He even refused to confirm his profession or elaborate on his role in Nexia BT. Cini also refused to exclude the possibility of corrupt practices by former government officials Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri. The Nexia BT director also refused to exclude the possibility of corruption by Mizzi and Schembri, instead...