Opposition leader Simon Busuttil had denied discussing the work for votes scandal when he met a Gozitan contractor turned whistleblower two years ago.
But Dr Busuttil has been challenged to “refresh his memory well” by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat as he hinted that a witness might have been present for that meeting.
Interviewed on One Radio this morning, Dr Muscat returned to the scandal, which saw the police last week arraign the husband of former Gozo minister Giovanna Debono.
Anthony Debono is accused of being the mastermind behind a scheme through which private work was done using public funds when he worked as a manager in the Gozo Ministry headed by his wife.
Mr Debono has denied the charges, which were based on the allegations made by a Gozitan contractor who has been given whistleblower protection.
Last month Dr Busuttil had belatedly confirmed that he had met the Gozitan contractor some two months after becoming leader of the Nationalist Party in 2013. However, he denied ever discussing the allegations or having any knowledge of them.
The Opposition has been under fire for not doing anything about the allegations when they became privy to them. This included an email the contractor sent Nationalist Party secretary general Chris Said last year in which the words “work for votes” were clearly spelt out.
Dr Muscat this morning rekindled the controversy and shifted the onus onto Dr Busuttil and his meeting two years ago.
“I do not know whether there were any witnesses in the room... [but] he [Dr Busuttil] has the political responsibility to refresh his memory well. What we know for sure is that there were two people in the room, the Opposition leader and the contractor.”
He then hinted there may have “possibly been a third person” for the meeting.
Dr Muscat said the Opposition leader had only said what the contractor told him – a complaint about work done for local councils under the previous administration that had not been paid – but not what he answered him. “I find it hard to believe this contractor came from Gozo and did not speak about the work for votes scandal... what did they discuss, football?”
University controversy
Dr Muscat also spoke about the controversy involving the proposed construction of a private university in Marsascala, insisting the government was still open for suggestions of an alternative site as long as it was in the south.
Jordanian investors want to build a private university called the American University of Malta on land at Żonqor Point, which was identified by the government. The land is outside the development zone and forms part of the last stretch of pristine coastline between Marsascala and Xgħajra.
Dr Muscat recalled that on the same coastline the previous administration had developed a sewage treatment plant on 60 tumoli of land.
“People can see the difference. One government gave them a sewage recycling plant while we want to develop a university over 90 tumoli of land and preserve the rest [some 500 tumoli] as a natural park.”
Dr Muscat insisted the government would still go ahead with developing a natural park in the area.
“This is a small country and whatever decision is taken is bound to create controversy but it is my job to take decisions, explain them to people and ensure rules are obeyed,” Dr Muscat said, adding most of the new schools built by the previous administration where constructed in ODZ areas.