(Adds PN's reaction)

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat asked today who was covering for whom in the Nationalist Party over allegations about works for votes in Gozo.

The scam allegedly happened when Giovanna Debono was Gozo Minister and her husband Anthony was responsible for the ministry’s construction department.

A contractor alleged in an e-mail to PN secretary general Chris Said in May, published in Malta Today last Sunday, alleging construction work in private residences utilising public funds.

Dr Muscat said on One Radio this morning that the e-mail proved that at least since last May there was a prominent member of the PN who had black on white claims that a contractor had carried out private construction work with public funds.

What Dr Said told the contractor was that he would see how he could help him. On the other hand, on learning about the matter Gozo Minister Anton Refalo did the right thing and embarked on the process to verify the matter.

Dr Muscat said that PN leader Simon Busuttil was now saying he only learnt about the case on Friday.

“Who is covering for whom? Dr Busuttil should clearly say whether he had any other meetings with the contractor besides an unplanned one in a lift. What was he told and what did he reply?... What is clear in all this is that this is only the tip of the iceberg, Dr Muscat said.

He noted that people such as this contractor willing to uncover the wrong done were protected by the Whistleblowers Act. Protection that was previously given to politicians had also been removed, he said as he appealed to all who had information to take it to the authorities.

In a reaction, the Nationalist Party said the way Joseph Muscat was defending Gozo Minister Anton Refalo raised doubts and suspicions.

Dr Muscat should say what he knew, when he got to know it and whether he lied when he said he learnt of the case from MaltaToday.

Why did the government not go to the police when it learnt of the allegations last year, the PN asked.

It noted that Times of Malta today gave all the details of the meeting Dr Busuttil had with Mr Cachia, including the e-mail which had passed between them.

But for some reason, the Prime Minister either did not see this explanation or wanted to deceive and turn the truth around.

While Dr Muscat was quick to act when the allegations came out in the media, nothing had been heard about the investigation of the past two years.

What were Dr Refalo and Dr Muscat afraid of, the PN asked.