If the internal audit inquiry report into a €1.65 million expropriation deal was ready, as reported by the media, it should be released immediately, Simon Busuttil said yesterday.
The Opposition leader made the call after Malta Today reported a few days ago that a probe ordered last June by the Office of the Prime Minister had been completed.
The investigation into the deal on the purchase by the government of half a property in Old Mint Street, Valletta, bought by Marco Gaffarena two months before, was carried out by the Internal Audit and Investigation Department, which reports directly to the Cabinet Office,
Though the government had pledged to publish the findings, the newspaper report said no decisions would be made before the conclusion of a separate investigation in to the same deal by the Auditor General.
When the Times of Malta sought a comment from official sources on the internal audit report in view of Dr Busuttil’s statement, a spokesman said the Office of the Prime Minister was informed that “the investigation exercise continues”.
“What is the Prime Minister waiting for to publish the IAID report,” Dr Busuttil said during a short telephone interview on Radio 101.
Speaking a short while later on One Radio, the Prime Minister made no reference to Dr Busuttil’s comments on the internal audit report.