The findings of the National Audit Office on the Café Premier deal is a “textbook case of sleaze”, according to PN Justice Shadow Minister Jason Azzopardi.

Addressing a press conference outside the café’s premises in Valletta, Dr Azzopardi said too many coincidences made the whole deal “stink”.

While Joseph Muscat had said he never discussed the issue with co-owner Mario Camilleri, despite meeting him twice before the election, the coffee shop closed its doors the day before Labour won the election and negotiations started barely a month after Dr Muscat became Prime Minister, Dr Azzopardi said.

“He should stop deceiving people and come clean on the whole issue which he personally conducted.

He should stop deceiving people and come clean on the whole issue

“No one believes the Prime Minister when he says there was no pre-electoral deal on the €4.2 million bailout of the Café Premier. This was no mistake as Dr Muscat is now trying to imply. This was a premeditated deal designed and executed by the Prime Minister himself,” Dr Azzopardi insisted.

The Prime Minister’s declaration that the government had already shouldered political responsibility for the deal was “the joke of the year”, PN spokesman Ryan Callus said, adding it was another example of gross arrogance by the Prime Minister.

“The Prime Minister now wants us to thank him for letting the NAO do its work and investigate,” Mr Callus said.

When pressed on who was taking political responsibility for the Café Premier deal, Dr Muscat last Monday argued that he had already done so as he had given the NAO full disclosure for its investigation.

Mr Callus said the Prime Minister had no right to decide whether the NAO should investigate or not. The facts on “this scandal” came to light only because the PN had insisted on a full investigation by the NAO.

If it were for Dr Muscat, he said, all the negotiations he personally conducted would be kept in the dark. He recalled the recent resignation of the Land Commissioner, saying this was one of the reasons for his departure.

He said that the commissioner was also kept in the dark on another “stinking” deal in which the Prime Minister intervened to drop a court case against the Labour Party on Australia Hall.

Labour later negotiated the property in Pembroke with third parties in another multi-million deal to settle many outstanding debts, he said.