I did not ask for money - Richard Muscat

Former Ambassador to Ireland Richard Muscat has denied asking the government for financial compensation, insisting he was only expecting the Prime Minister to remedy matters.

Mr Muscat was reacting to an article in it-Torċa newspaper, which reported he was seeking close to €20,000 after he was forced to resign when the Foreign Affairs Ministry learnt that an Irish woman had filed sexual assault allegations against his son.

"I'm just waiting for the Prime Minister to find a satisfactory solution. If the government is looking at financial compensation, I'm not excluding that it's a satisfactory solution, but I didn't ask for it. I never requested a financial sum," Mr Muscat told The Times yesterday. When contacted, the Office of the Prime Minister confirmed that Mr Muscat had requested a remedy but a government spokesman said there had been no specific demand for financial compensation, even though it was not being excluded.

The story broke in The Sunday Times two weeks ago when Mr Muscat claimed he was forced to resign his diplomatic post in August 2007 because he was "in the way" of former Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Frendo's bid to become Commonwealth secretary general, and risked losing Labour's backing.

Dr Frendo has since stressed that Mr Muscat's resignation had nothing to do with Malta's candidacy for the Commonwealth post, however much it may make Mr Muscat "feel better about his behaviour by believing he was 'sacrificed' because of it".

He said Mr Muscat had failed to inform him of the sexual assault allegations against his son for 10 whole months, and only broke his silence when the story hit the headlines in the Irish tabloids in August last year.

In October 2007, the Irish Director of Public Prosecutions eventually announced that no charges would be brought against Mr Muscat's son. After feeling he was made a scapegoat, Mr Muscat was waiting for the Prime Minister to heal the wound. He had said: "I leave it in his hands. I'm not asking for the moon. I'm asking for nothing, except that truth prevails and justice is done."

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had publicly tried to mend matters during a pre-electoral party activity at Birkirkara when he said: "Here in front of me is Richard Muscat, there is an open wound and we want it to heal."

Mr Muscat stressed in The Sunday Times interview that he was not expecting his job back, even though he had been happy in his position. He felt no position would heal the psychological trauma he and his family had endured.

Yesterday, Mr Muscat reiterated this and said he left it in the Prime Minister's hands to find a solution; it could be financial but it was anybody's guess.

"I always claimed I deserved a solution that closed this unfortunate chapter in a fair and dignified manner for me and my family. If the government sees this could be done by a motivated compensation, I feel I should give it my full consideration," he said.

"At this stage, I want to have peace of mind, and more than money I want my gesture - that I resigned with a sense of loyalty, when I felt it was unjust - to be appreciated. It can be appreciated with a letter.

"I'm not trying to capitalise on this situation. I'm looking for a decent political move that casts off any shadows."