Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this evening that he was dumbfounded as to why the Finance Minister brushed aside a 'tip-off' by the Security Service in 2011 on the oil commissions scandal.
Speaking in Gzira, Dr Muscat reacted to the Finance Minister's statement today that the tax investigation into a company belonging to rogue oil trader George Farrugia was instigated by information passed on by the secret service.
"We can disagree on who should shoulder responsibility for the oil scandal but it will be an academic discussion. But the Government shouldered responsibility when it acted in one way and not another," Dr Muscat said.
He insisted that the Finance Minister, who was responsible for Enemalta in 2011, chose to pass on the investigation to the Tax Compliance Unit, which he described as "a bureaucratic procedure".
"Did it stop simply at that... I cannot understand why this decision was taken," Dr Muscat said, adding the Government had to explain its decision.
He was being interviewed by TV presenters Simone Cini and Robert Musumeci under the tent, which was well-attended.
Dr Muscat spoke at length about the oil scandal, eliciting applause when he said it was difficult in this day and age to forget a Swiss bank account.
The reference was to a bank account held by Transport Minister Austin Gatt that was not declared in his assets as part of the annual declaration ministers made. Dr Gatt admitted it was an oversight and explained he had inherited the account from his parents. He then passed on details of the account to the police.
The oil commissions scandal has "disgusted" people, irrespective of their political creed, Dr Muscat said, reiterating his party's commitment to introduce a whistleblower act and remove the time-bar on corruption for politicians.
On a completely different note Dr Muscat said he wanted an animal-friendly country because "Malta was also theirs". The statement elicited applause and a smile from those present.
The meeting, a public version of the TV programme hosted by Ms Cini and Mr Musumeci, took a different twist when Labour candidate Marion Mizzi, a popular dietician, said she awaited the day when people were happy to pay their taxes because they got value for money in the way public funds were spent.
ksansone@timesofmalta.com