Magistrate Lia refuses Repubblika request to recuse herself from Pilatus case

Magistrate Nadine Lia has turned down a request to recuse herself from a case concerning Pilatus Bank, in a court decree that condemned “gratuitous” assertions made about her by NGO Repubblika.

The magistrate’s rejection was made public by Repubblika on Wednesday, which says it will now be filing a constitutional case, in a bid to have Lia's decision overturned. 

Lia is hearing a case filed by Repubblika against the police commissioner and attorney general, who the NGO says have failed to press charges against various Pilatus officials, despite an inquiry having recommended that more than a year ago. 

Conflict of interest claims

Repubblika has however argued that Lia is unfit to hear that case, because of her ties to lawyer Pawlu Lia, who is her father-in-law. 

Pawlu Lia also serves as a lawyer to former prime minister Joseph Muscat, and Repubblika says that link means the magistrate has a conflict of interest, given the history involving Pilatus and Muscat.

Muscat was a key figure in an inquiry into the bank that followed a claim made by murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who said that Muscat’s wife owned Egrant, a secret offshore company linked to the Electrogas power...