[WATCH] Prime Minister expects MPs to observe ethics code on gifts received from business

Robert Abela expects Labour MPs to observe the code of ethics for parliamentarians and declare all gifts they received personally.

The Prime Minister’s comment comes on the back of the latest controversy involving Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi who benefitted from freebies from the Tumas Group.

In the wake of the revelations involving Azzopardi, Opposition leader Bernard Grech asked all his MPs to declare what gifts they may have received from business leaders.

Asked whether he would be doing the same with Labour MPs, Abela said the matter was already regulated by the code of ethics for MPs.

"If someone had to declare an accepted gift and failed to do so, naturally they are in breach of the code," he warned.

"The code is also clear that no member should receive gifts that can in any way conflict with their role as lawmakers," he said.

Gift-giving between big business and politicians took centre-stage after sister newspaper Illum revealed last week that PN MP Jason Azzopardi had a three-day stay at the Tel Aviv Hilton Hotel in Israel financed by the Tumas Group in 2017.

In a second instalment yesterday, the newspaper revealed that Azzopardi benefited from free hotel services at the Hilton during his 2008 election campaign and made use of various services at the Excelsior Hotel for free.

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