The Prime Minister was “blatantly lying” when he insisted that he never discussed the Qormi petrol station during his meetings with Joe Gaffarena while in Opposition, PN leader Simon Busuttil said this morning.

Referring to an interview with Joseph Muscat published in today’s The Sunday Times of Malta, Dr Busuttil said he knew Dr Muscat’s statement to be untrue because he himself had been approached by Mr Gaffarena.

“I know because Gaffarena came to me and I sent him packing. Under the Nationalist administration, the petrol station remained closed. Once the government changed, it was given to him immediately. This means that the Labour Party had made him a promise.”

Former Planning Parliamentary Secretary Michael Farrugia had said last year that the Labour Party had promised this before the election, Dr Busuttil continued.

The time has now come for the Prime Minister to shoulder political responsibility, he stressed, adding that Dr Muscat had fallen into a “pathetic” situation.

The Opposition was tangibly raising the standards, as demonstrated by former minister Joe Cassar’s resignation from Parliament. This was a lesson in integrity and an honourable gesture which merited respect and admiration, he added.

Despite having every reason to act on Planning Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon and despite an internal government report which established illegal land values in the fast-track expropriation of a Valletta palazzino owned by Marco Gaffarena, the Prime Minister was still dragging his feet.

Newspapers were recently reading a sort of tele-serial, Dr Busuttil continued, with new details emerging on various scandals.

He reiterated his call for an independent inquiry to investigate Identity Malta, adding that if the government refused to do so, the Opposition will turn upon independent institutions to ensure that the responsibility is shouldered.