Labour MP Leo Brincat insists that Finance Minister Tonio Fenech should take action on “irregularities and mismanagement” at Wasteserv.

Mr Brincat recalled that three weeks ago he had published a letter from the national waste agency’s auditors flagging serious shortcomings. Yet, he added, the government failed to take any action, except to say it was “a storm in a teacup”.

He noted the auditors had found a series of shortcomings at Wasteserv, including the lack of board approval for certain purchases.

Mr Brincat said the opposition expected the government to take action, especially against Mr Fenech’s former personal secretary, Alan Caruana. The auditors had said that Mr Caruana had held a long meeting with them. Mr Brincat said that the auditors reported that, during the meeting, Mr Caruana questioned the integrity of their report. The auditors deemed such comment as being tantamount to “a threat to (our) independence as auditors by irresponsibly pressuring our firm (to change its opinion)”.

Reacting to Mr Brincat’s comments, Wasteserv denied having attempted to pressure the auditors into changing their audit opinion. It said the auditors had asked it to improve its accounting practices “as any auditor would do”.

The agency said that the management letter Mr Brincat was referring to was part of a rigorous exercise conducted by the appointed auditors.