Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi this evening refused to withdraw a statement he made yesterday about Opposition spokesman George Pullicino on Monday evening.

He was asked to withdraw or corroborate the statement by Speaker Anglu Farrugia.

Dr Mizzi on Monday said that businessmen spoke about Mr Pullicino and the way he said it implied that they were speaking about him in a negative manner.

Mr Pullicino asked the Speaker to deliver a ruling on the accusations.

In his ruling today, Dr Farrugia concluded that Dr Mizzi should either withdraw the claim or substantiate it.

He said that if he failed to do this, the Speaker would find Dr Mizzi guilty of prima facie breach of privilege and pass the case on to the Privileges Committee.

Dr Mizzi stood by the claims he made on Monday and put on the table of the House a number of documents to back his claims. He insisted that Mr Pullicino’s ministry had insisted that the preferable feed-in tariff given to a company was issued before it was approved by the regulator and that was what he had based his conclusions on.

Mr Pullicino said that all documents tabled by Dr Mizzi were public. He insisted he did not have anything to do with adjudication and said that some of the people on the adjudicating committee were still advising the minister.

The Speaker said he would consider the statements made and report back to the House with a decision.

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