Simon Busuttil this evening slammed claims by a German state minister that Malta was the Panama of Europe.

“I do not agree with the German Minister [Norbert Walter-Borjans]. We don’t have offshore companies and the structures he mentioned.

“I do not agree with his comments. However, Joseph Muscat’s behaviour - him closing an eye to corruption and his choice of Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri - has put Malta in a weaker position to defend its name abroad,” he told PN supporters.

READ: Data leak reveals details of 70,000 offshore firms in Malta, German state minister claims  

Dr Busuttil was speaking in Żurrieq, a locality that forms part of the fifth district, which Prime Minister Joseph Muscat will be contesting.

“We are not, and we do not want to be the Panama of Europe. Our problem is a corrupt clique in Castille, which has a Panama company,” Dr Busuttil said.

He said he was willing to go “wherever necessary” to clean Malta’s name if he was elected to lead the country on June 3.

Earlier he referred to the PN’s proposals for housing, insisting that he as prime minister would have invested the money made off Australia Hall and Café Premier among others, within this sector.  

Marlene Farrugia, another speaker at the political activity, apologised for knocking on doors, during the 2013 electoral campaign, to convince voters about the change which she believed was needed at the time.

The Partit Demokratiku leader said that from the very beginning of the past legislature she defended not only the manifesto she had tried to convince people about, but also her country.

"However, it was not long before we saw our country being butchered and handed out piece by piece," she added.