Brincat calls on PM to order audit

If the Prime Minister truly believed in transparency he should ask the Auditor General to investigate the purchase of the controversial Brussels property, Labour Party Foreign Affairs spokesman Leo Brincat said yesterday.

The government is under the spotlight for purchasing a Lm9 million building as premises for its permanent representation to the EU, among others.

On Monday, the government said it was convinced the process leading to the decision was transparent in every aspect. It said it would welcome any initiative to analyse the investment in all its aspects and pointed out that Parliament's public accounts committee, presided over by a Labour MP, had the faculty to call for an investigation.

Mr Brincat said the government was fully aware that there was no need for the PAC to refer the case to the Auditor General and that Dr Gonzi could take the initiative himself.

If Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi really believed in transparency and his government was willing to welcome any initiative to analyse this investment, he should therefore ask the Auditor General to investigate, Mr Brincat said.

He recalled that Dr Gonzi had asked the Auditor General to look into the issue of air tickets following allegations involving former Foreign Minister John Dalli.