Opposition leader Alfred Sant this afternoon called at police headquarters and asked the Police Commissioner to investigate the application for a development permit in Mistra on land belonging to Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando. The move was welcomed by the Prime Minister in a statement this evening.

In comments after his meeting with the police commissioner, Dr Sant said he had been informed that the Prime Minister had also asked the commissioner for an investigation.

But whereas Dr Gonzi's letter asking for an investigation by the Mepa auditor was issued, the request to the commissioner was not made public.

When he was asked what had led him to go to the commissioner, given that some time ago he had said that the prime minister's practice to refer to the commissioner was a smokescreen, Dr Sant said Labour wanted to take all the necessary steps available to it in the interests of transparency and good practice.

The Prime Minister in a statement this evening said he welcomed the "U-turn" by the leader of the opposition, who for the first time in this legislature, had referred alleged cases of corruption to the Commissioner of Police for investigation. This, Dr Gonzi said, was the way how investigations were conducted in civilized countries.

Dr Gonzi said anybody having well founded information on alleged abuse had a duty to pass on that information for investigation. In that way, those who were guilty could be held to account and those who were not would not have doubts cast on them.

Dr Gonzi said he regretted the fact that the opposition had, for years, been mudslinging without referring any cases to the police.

He condemned attempts by the opposition to assume the role of investigator and prosecutor while it had accused the Police Commissioner of being a screen. Dr Gonzi again expressed his confidence in the police commissioner.