(Adds PL's reply)

For the second day in a row, PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier has insisted his party became aware of the Mistra scandal during the election campaign after Labour leader Joseph Muscat slipped up.

Dr Borg Olivier called an urgent press conference this afternoon to point out what PN MEP Simon Busuttil was reported saying to a newspaper today.

Dr Busuttil was quoted saying that Dr Muscat, at the time still an MEP, had given him strong enough hints during a discussion on a flight to Brussels.

No new information was given at the press conference and Dr Borg Olivier once again refused to say whether then Labour leader Alfred Sant was right when he alleged corruption on the Mistra scandal.

“This press conference is not about the Mistra case but intended to unmask Joseph Muscat’s deceit,” he said adding the Labour Party was now suggesting it was PN officials who had informed it of the Mistra contract.

Dr Borg Olivier insisted the PN had passed political judgement on the case soon after the election when the Prime Minister said this was reflected in the choice of cabinet.

He skirted the question as to whether the party should be thanking Dr Muscat for disclosing the Labour Party’s electoral strategy.

CHILD'S PLAY - PL

In a statement, the PL said a spokesman for Dr Muscat had already denied the claims being made by Dr Borg Olivier.

What Dr Borg Olivier was doing was child's play and it was clear that Dr Busuttil was getting mixed in all this to join the list of those who had ulterior motives.

Dr Muscat and the PL were not interested in such nonesense, the PL said.