The Nationalist Party has hit out at the government and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat for continuing to allow Parliamentary Secretary Franco Mercieca to breach the Ministerial Code of Ethics and the conditions attached to a waiver.

In a statement, the party said that despite clear evidence that Dr Mercieca was breaching the Code and the conditions of the waiver granted to him by the prime minister, Parliamentary Secretary Franco Mercieca was trying to deny facts known to all.

He was carrying out eye operations which could be performed by other people, and he was being paid €3,600 for them, when he was supposed to be seeing to his ministerial duties, the party said.

Referring to a story carried by The Sunday Times of Malta, including footage and recordings, the PN said that the Labour Party, instead of acting over this blatant breach of ethics, was opting to defend Dr Mercieca  while the prime minister was staying silent.

The PN reiterated the comment by its leader Simon Busuttil that the people expected a clear expanation. The waiver granted by the prime minister had been limited so that patients would not suffer. But it had now resulted that Dr Mercieca was performing operations which other surgeons could perform, and he was doing so also during the week and not just on Sundays.

Before the general election, the PL criticised Nationalist ministers for receiving their honoraria as MPs, and now a member of the Cabinet was being allowed to breach the code of ethics and make €3,600 in a morning.