Updated | Labour keeps up the heat on Busuttil, Grech • PN hits back

Instead of taking action against Nationalist MP Claudio Grech “caught lying” under oath, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil chose “to reward him”, the Labour Party said.

In a statement, the PL said that it was evident that Busuttil would not take any action against Grech.

A collection of emails revealed that the Nationalist MP had met oil trader George Farrugia, who turned State’s evidence in the Enemalta oil scandal, on more than one occasion before 2012. The emails contradict comments given by Grech to the public accounts committee, insisting that he only met Farrugia once, when he decided to contest the 2013 elections.

“Not only is Busuttil refusing to take action against Grech despite not telling the truth, but he has now given him the responsibility to draft an economic policy for the PN.

“It has now become common for the Opposition leader to say one thing and do another: he speaks of honest politics but acts otherwise.”

Grech has insisted that he had "no recollection whatsoever of meetings/emails with Mr George Farrugia before the 2012 encounter that I referred to. That is the only direct interaction I remember having with Mr Farrugia. I do not recall the email and meeting that was referred to in MaltaToday and that took place nine years ago."

Farrugia’s nephew and CEO of John’s Group, Chris Farrugia has told MaltaToday that he met Grech in a 2013 meeting, on the same evening that the PN had organised a press conference in which the party hit out at the John’s Group in relation to the Enemalta oil scandal.

“My uncle Ray Farrugia had contacted Bernard Pace, who worked with Austin Gatt, asking him why they had hit out at the company. Pace suggested they meet up, and Ray asked me to go to the Hamrun office. I went there and I found Pace, who suggested to me that we issue a press statement clearing our company’s name, and stating that we had had no business whatsoever with Austin Gatt.”

In a reaction, the PN said Joseph Muscat’s standards were “the lowest in Maltese history”, heading a Cabinet “swamped by scandals and ministers and parliamentary secretaries facing serious accusations”.

The PN said Muscat did nothing against parliament secretary Michael Falzon who was “personally involved in the Gaffarena scandal”; against minister Chris Cardona who was “living in a businessman’s apartment without any one knowing”; against parliamentary secretary Ian Borg “facing series accusation of abusing an elderly”; and against minister Konrad Mizzi who “interfered” in hedging agreements resulting a €14 million loss.

“Muscat was also personally involved in the Café Premier scandal. The rot starts at the top and Muscat has lost all credentials to talk about good governance,” the PN said.