Updated - Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia this evening reacted to PN criticism of his silence on the oil procurement scandal and said he had acted correctly and professionally as a lawyer bound by professional secrecy.
Earlier, the PN said that the Prime Minister and Dr Mallia needed to shoulder their responsibilities after oil trader George Farrugia confirmed yesterday that Dr Mallia stayed silent for three years despite knowing about corruption in oil procurement.
The PN noted that according to sworn testimony in the Public Accounts Committee yesterday, Dr Mallia not only knew about the corruption, but threatened to report Mr Farrugia if he did not reach agreement with John's Group, the PN said.
"Despite minister Manuel Mallia having known about corruption three years ago, he did nothing to reveal it and to stop the harm caused to Enemalta and the country," the PN said.
The prime minister and Dr Mallia needed to explain how, instead of working in the national interest, they used information on oil procurement corruption for electoral purposes, the PN added.
In his reaction Dr Mallia said he was engaged as a lawyer in 2010 over a case of misappropriation of funds by Mr Farrugia vis-a-vis the company owned by the Farrugia brothers. This was corroborated by a letter dated September 27, 2010 which said that: 'this appointment relates specifically to the misappropriation of funds by the said Mr Farrugia against the company'.
Dr Mallia said it would have been better for the PN to understand the exact meaning of professional secrecy which bound all lawyers. It was a shame that anybody tried to play about with this right to gain political advantage.
Furthermore, he was not even in politics at the time, Dr Mallia said, and the responsible minister was Austin Gatt. It would therefore be better for the PN to investigate the donation made to Dr Gatt's electoral campaign.
The political responsibility for the oil procurement corruption was and remained the PN's and not his, as he had acted in a professional manner as he had always done as a lawyer, Dr Mallia said.
PN REACTS AGAIN
In a reaction to the minister's statement, the Nationalist Party said Dr Mallia was never Mr Farrugia's client and his argument about professional secrecy therefore did not apply.
It said the minister had not explained how he knew of corruption in oil procurement for three years and said nothing about it. Neither had he reacted to what George Farrugia said that Dr Mallia had not only know about corruption, but threatened to report him unless he reached a settlement with John's Garage Group.
The PN insisted that Dr Mallia and the prime minister needed to shoulder their political responsibilities.