Updated 6pm - Added David Casa statement

Leo Brincat is simply following PN MEP David Casa's advice in pressing ahead with his European Court of Auditors nomination, Labour MEP Alfred Sant has claimed. 

In a statement, Dr Sant expressed surprise at Mr Casa's declarations against Mr Brincat's nomination and said the PN MEP had spoken very differently in meetings held prior to the vote. 

"Mr Casa told me ‘Leo Brincat should not repeat Dr Toni Abela’s “mistake” and should not bind himself with the vote at the European Parliament,’", Dr Sant claimed. 

He said that Mr Casa told him that should there be a negative vote in the procedures of the European Parliament, Mr Brincat should make sure to follow his nomination till the very end, pending the decision taken by the Council of Ministers.

In a rebuttal, Mr Casa said Dr Sant's claims were "a blatant lie." 

Mr Brincat's nomination to the European Court of Auditors was roundly rejected by the European Parliament last week. Mr Brincat subsequently said he would be forging ahead and asking the Council of Ministers to approve his nomination regardless. 

In the days following the vote, Dr Sant slammed PN MEPs for having voted alongside their European People's Party colleagues against Mr Brincat's nomination, calling it "a great infamy".

S&D agreed to back Brincat - Sant

In today's statement, Dr Sant also said that Socialist MEPs had agreed unanimously to back Mr Brincat in the European Parliament vote.

"No one aired any objection to this decision," Dr Sant said. 

In the event, a number of S&D MEPs opposed Malta's nominee. Among them was Portuguese MEP Ana Gomes.

Ms Gomes, who is the vice chairwoman of the EP's Panama Papers inquiry committee, linked her decision to oppose Mr Brincat's nomination to his vote against a no confidence motion in minister Konrad Mizzi in the wake of the Panama Papers scandal.