Update 2 | Ministers deny en masse Muscat allegation

Government ministers have accused Labour leader Joseph Muscat of creating a diversion after claiming early this morning that a minister had used his influence to release a person from police custody.

"Muscat is trying to divert attention from the scandal that his deputy leader for party affairs Toni Abela is embroiled in... what Abela did shows that the Opposition views the police corps as a political instrument."

In a statement, the government ministers and parliamentary secretaries all denied Muscat's allegation, which they said he had failed to substantiate.

Labour's proposals for the local sporting sector at the Bidnija shooting range today were expectedly overshadowed by pricklier matters than incentives for athletes: Muscat found himself defending his deputy leader for party affairs again, insisting that Toni Abela's intervention with a police officer in 2010 was intending at reining in a civil matter out of police hands.

But in turn, Muscat alleged that a government minister had used his influence to obtain the release of a man in a police lock-up: when asked whether he considered the Abela case was a grave matter, Muscat said, "What if I tell you there was a minister who called for the release of a person from the police lock-up?"

At this point, when journalists asked Muscat to explain the allegation, the Labour leader replied: "You are journalists... investigate."

Muscat defended his position not to release any more comments on his allegation that a minister used his influence to release a person from the police lock-up later throughout the day, during a visit to the Eurosport stores in Birkirkara [VIDEO].

Muscat has been busy fending off questions on a secret recording in which Toni Abela is heard claiming he intervened with the police not to press charges against Richard Vella, formerly a barman at the PL's club in Attard, who has been suspended from the party since 2010.

Vella, charged with starting a fight with Labour local councillor John Bonnici in 2010, produced the recording in court last week to say that Abela had told the police not to press charges against him.

But Abela says he had intervened with the police at the Birkirkara police station because Vella had reported the councillor after his bar's locks had been changed. Abela insists he wrested the case away from the police because this was a civil, not a criminal matter.

"Abela is legally responsible for these party clubs, and he has said that the matter was not of a criminal nature, but a civil case between two individuals," Muscat said today.

Asked whether he deemed the case was now closed, Muscat said he had nothing to add about the content of the recordings he had heard.

Pointed questions to Muscat from the press asked the Labour leader whether he was on Abela's side: "I'm on justice's side," Muscat replied.

Muscat was also quizzed on whether Judge Lino Farrugia Sacco, who faces an impeachment motion filed by the Prime Minister, should step down from his post as president of the Malta Olympic Committee - over an ethics investigation into the sale of tickets for the Sochi winter games - Muscat said that the judge should "make way" and resign.

Farrugia Sacco's son David is running for parliament on the Labour ticket.

Turning to the Enemalta oil scandal, Muscat drove home the point that emails published in The Times and MaltaToday had confirmed that transport minister Austin Gatt had met oil trader George Farrugia, the Trafigura agent who has been granted a presidential pardon to give evidence on allegations of kickbacks for Enemalta fuel procurement.

Muscat was also asked why he 'laughed' during Wednesday's debate at the University of Malta when he saw Lawrence Gonzi being booed by students present.

"My reaction was no different to that of Gonzi five years ago," Muscat said, generating applause from supporters present at the press conference.

Muscat's proposals at the Bidgnija shooting range commit Labour to four main projects: The development of an indoor swimming pool, the upgrading of Tal-Qroqq's sporting facilities, a national shooting range and the completion of a motor sports track.