Muscat asks police to investigate ministers' comments

Labour leader Joseph Muscat has asked the Police Commissioner to investigate comments which his party is claiming were made by two ministers during a meeting held to discuss the controversial St John's Co-Cathedral proposed museum extension project.

According to the Labour Party, during this meeting a minister allegedly said that the funds earmarked for the project were acquired because "there was someone who knew how to play the game".

Another minister had allegedly declared there was "undue pressure" from public officials. The PL said that last Friday Dr Muscat provided Police Commissioner John Rizzo with details of a PN parliamentary group meeting held on January 31.

In a statement, the PL said its leader passed on the names of the people in question, together with other relevant details, to the Police Commissioner for further investigation. The names of the ministers were not disclosed.

Dr Muscat was accompanied by party president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi.

In a reply, the PN's parliamentary group denied the allegations, and accused Dr Muscat of trying to detract from the humiliation he suffered after comments made by European Commissioner Gunther Verheugen.

Mr Verheugen made it clear that Malta was a net beneficiary of EU funds and criticised Dr Muscat's proposal to use its veto to drive the message home on the issue of illegal immigration.