[WATCH] Minister once vocal on Panamagate, is coy about latest Mizzi-Schembri revelations

Evarist Bartolo comments on Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri

Evarist Bartolo has adopted a coy approach when faced with questions over the latest revelations involving Cabinet colleague Konrad Mizzi and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, Keith Schembri.

The Education Minister would not comment on whether the pair should resign after a journalistic investigation known as The Daphne Project, revealed that two mysterious Dubai companies were ‘target clients’ of the Panama companies set up by Mizzi and Schembri.

When the Panama Papers broke two years ago, Bartolo was one of a few voices within the Labour Party, who publicly called for Mizzi’s resignation.

However, this time around, Bartolo has held back from making any public pronouncements. Asked by journalist’s this morning, Bartolo said he was “sad and angry” by the actions of those who wanted to “harm the country, simply to get at the Labour Party”.

He said those who “claimed to believe in the rule of law” had their own definition of what this meant: “they believe to be a law unto themselves; they want to be prosecutors, judge, jury and if possible executioners, as well.”

He reiterated the important of using financial services “responsibly” but insisted he did not want to be used by those who opted for silence in the past whenever he criticised the financial services industry’s practices.

Mizzi and Schembri have already issued 'clear statements'

Transport and Infrastructure minister Ian Borg was similarly cautions when asked whether the Mizzi and Schembri’s position was still tenable.

Borg said that both had been “clear in the statements they issued” to the media after Wednesday’s revelations.

He added that the Prime Minister had since stated that he would not be commenting on the issue until “ongoing independent investigations” were concluded.

Asked whether he would have chosen to resign had he been the one implicated, Borg stressed that he was not.

“They have issued their statements, the Prime Minister has made his declaration and one must follow those,” said Borg.