Joseph Muscat upped the pressure on Finance Minister Tonio Fenech yesterday evening accusing him of receiving a gift worth more than €5,000 at his home from a rogue oil trader.

Speaking under the tent in Ta’ Xbiex, Dr Muscat asked why the gift was never declared and what was given in return.

The allegation was first made earlier in the day by Labour candidate Evarist Bartolo and denied by the Finance Minister.

Dr Muscat said Mr Fenech received the gift from George Farrugia – the oil trader implicated in a corruption scandal who was given a presidential pardon to turn State evidence – soon after taking responsibility for Enemalta in 2010.

While accusing the Nationalist Party of clutching at straws, Dr Muscat said he accepted the resignation of Labour candidate Joe Cordina.

An accountant, Mr Cordina is also Labour’s financial secretary, a post he also resigned from yesterday after Mr Fenech revealed that he was involved in a company that had links to Mr Farrugia.

“Joe Cordina has not been implicated or interrogated by the police but told me he did not want the party to suffer because his opponents were targeting him unfairly,” Dr Muscat said, adding he accepted the resignation.

Dr Muscat said the PN was “sinking to low depths” by targeting Mr Cordina and only did so as a diversionary tactic because it knew that Mr Fenech’s link to Mr Farrugia would be exposed.

The gift given to Mr Fenech brought down the PN’s house of cards, he argued.

Dr Muscat was interviewed by two young people under the tent as part of the Labour youth wing’s I’m In campaign.

On a separate note, he said a Labour government would ask the Opposition to nominate people to form part of the Administration when Malta took over the EU presidency in 2017.

“We want this to be truly a national effort,” he said, adding this was an unprecedented event spanning a six-month term.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com