Updated - Adds Central Bank statement - The Nationalist Party this afternoon accused the prime minister of intimidation and political discrimination after an attack he made yesterday on a number of civil servants who, he alleged, leaked information to Nationalist MP Tonio Fenech.
PN deputy leaders Mario de Marco and Beppe Fenech Adami told a press conference that disciplinary action had been taken against officials at the NSO and the Central Bank ‘because of their political beliefs.’
One has been suspended on half pay and the other has been put on unpaid forced leave.
It-Torca yesterday described the officials as 'spies' who leaked internal information before it was even given to the government.
However the PN officials said that none of the information given in the newspaper showed that any confidential information had been leaked.
Quick disciplinary action had been taken on the basis of the newspaper report without proper investigation, showing how the disciplinary action was politically motivated.
Dr de Marco and Dr Fenech Adami said that the google group which the civil servants formed part of was simply a discussion forum. The PN had many discussion fora, some online and some not, and it would be impossible and unfair to prevent anyone who worked in public institutions from participating.
The Civil Service code itself said that participation in the political wellbeing of the country was to be encouraged. Therefore it was clear that no laws had been broken.
The PN officials said said that just two years after taking office, Dr Muscat’s government had already degenerated into a government of political persecution intent only on shutting up those who did not agree with it.
On the one hand, the government wanted to give whistle blower protection for people who, it thought, could harm the PN, while at the same time, it was intimidating those who did not agree with it.
Everyone had a fundamental right to political views and association.
Furthermore, the financial institutions mentioned in this case were supposed to be independent and should not take orders from Dr Muscat.
The PN deputy leaders urged Dr Muscat to stop intimidation against these workers.
Failing that, they said the PN would take all necessary action to defend the workers itself, including taking the case before the European Central Bank and the European Commission over breach of the independence of the Central Bank and the National Statistics Office (NSO)
The PN said it was also appealing to trade unions and workers of good will in all government departments to defend these workers from political persecution.
CENTRAL BANK: NO DISCIPLINARY ACTION TAKEN
The Central Bank said that, as it has done in the past, it had handled the leak allegations within the established rules and procedures and to date no disciplinary action had been taken.
"However, the Bank has taken the necessary precautionary measures to protect its internal records to enable a fair and effective investigation."
FINANCE MINISTRY REQUESTS INVESTIGATIONS
The Finance Ministry said its permanent secretary had written to the institutions involved asking them to investigate the newspaper report.
The people involved were public officers who were expected to act correctly, the ministry said, more so as they have access to privileged information.
They were expected to follow directives which were actually put in place in the last administration, the ministry said.