Three Labour Party candidates yesterday filed a criminal complaint against Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt, deeming his claims that they were trying to frame him as defamatory.

Labour MP Evarist Bartolo and candidates Manuel Mallia and David Farrugia Sacco have asked police to proceed “with urgency” in the defamation case against Dr Gatt, who, last Saturday, indicated them as the three PL “links” to what he suspected was an elaborate set-up.

Dr Gatt believes e-mails published in connection with the ongoing oil corruption scandal, which make indirect reference to him, could have been be forged. he himself has filed a police report against the three PL candidates alleging a plot.

The e-mails, published in The Sunday Times and Malta Today are from rogue oil trader George Farrugia, who was recently given a presidential pardon to tell all on the scandal, and were addressed to several officials from the implicated oil companies Trafigura and Total as well as Enemalta.

The minister noted that both Dr Mallia and Dr Farrugia Sacco had previously represented the Farrugia brothers – who had acrimoniously split with their brother George some years ago – and had access to sensitive information belonging to him and which had now landed in the press.

Dr Gatt said a copy of one of the e-mails in question had been posted on Mr Bartolo’s Facebook wall.

Dr Mallia and Dr Farrugia Sacco have both categorically denied the minister’s claims, saying they were not involved in an audit of Mr Farrugia’s computer files or seen the published e-mails before they were printed.

Mr Bartolo has heaped scorn on Dr Gatt’s claims, saying he was “one of many” people tagged in the Facebook post in question and likening the minister to Inspector Clouseau of Pink Panther fame.

Asked yesterday about the IT audit, Dr Farrugia Sacco reiterated that he had played no part in it. He declined to name those who had, saying it would be unethical to do so.