The Labour Party today insisted once again that the Prime Minister must explain what he knew about the Mistra scandal involving Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, before and after the general election.

The party in a statement pointed out that on March 6, Dr Gonzi said that whoever revealed the Mistra case was only bent on mudslinging. Last Sunday, exactly a month later, when questioned by a newspaper, he refused to comment, arguing this only involved the PN.

The MLP said this excuse was puerile and an affront to the people since Dr Gonzi was both the prime minister and the PN leader. He had given his blessing for Dr Pullicino Orlando to try to disrupt a televised press conference due to have been given by the leader of the Opposition just before the elections.

The MLP pointed out that while Dr Pullicino Orlando had denied knowledge of the planned Mistra disco on his land, it had now emerged that in terms of the contract he signed just a month and a half before, he was to earn €1.9 million (Lm815,000) in rents from his property over 15 years, after which the land and development on it was to revert to him .

Once Dr Pullicino Orlando had told The Times that he had not lied and had disclosed the facts to the PN, Dr Gonzi needed to explain how he allowed Dr Pullicino Orlando to contest the election on the PN ticket, the MLP said.