Labour MP demands ambassadors' resignation

Labour MP Leo Brincat has called for the dismissal or resignation of ambassadors Richard Muscat and Gaetan Naudi.

Mr Brincat said that unless the ambassadors resigned, they should be removed from their post by the Foreign Minister.

This, he said, should be done independently of any other action that could be taken in the wake of the information that has been made public on irregularities at the Voice of the Mediterranean radio station.

Unless the minister removed the ambassadors, he would have to carry the consequences of his behaviour, shouldering the responsibility of their shortcomings as highlighted in the House Public Accounts Committee hearing.

While Mr Muscat was managing director of the radio station, Mr Naudi was, at the time, permanent secretary at the foreign ministry.

After a series of meetings, the PAC has decided to appoint a person/s to probe the conduct of the Office of the Auditor General in its investigation of the VoM.

The decision was taken on the basis of a motion moved by Public Investments Minister Austin Gatt.

Another motion, moved by committee chairman Charles Mangion, calling for a magisterial inquiry into the way the station was run in order to definitively determine the responsibility of everyone involved, was defeated.

Dr Mangion insisted it was clear there had not been good governance and accountability in the running of the radio station.