Labour leader Joseph Muscat insisted yesterday he was unaware of the drug incident at a party club, as the Nationalist Party upped the pressure on PL deputy leader Toni Abela in the wake of a leaked audio recording.

In the 2010 recording released last week, Dr Abela is heard describing how he sacked a barman after he was informed of illegal drug-related activities at the club in Attard. However, he did not report the matter to the police.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has called for Dr Abela’s resignation, while the Opposition leader has stood by his deputy leader, describing the recordings as a “coordinated attack”.

Yesterday Dr Muscat sidestepped repeated questions on whether his deputy’s behaviour was politically and morally correct.

This is the second recording to emerge involving Dr Abela. In the first he is heard talking about his efforts to diffuse an incident at a Labour Party club, saying he had told police to hold off from proceeding after “finding a Labourite policeman”.

Dr Gonzi said the police should identify the Labourite policeman approached by Dr Abela.

Questions to the police remained unanswered. The Sunday Times asked whether they had investigated if someone was possibly processing cocaine inside a Labour Party club and whether anyone had been called in for questioning.