Nationalist MPs were not aware of an increase in the duty allowance awarded to Cabinet members, according to backbencher Jean Pierre Farrugia.

Dr Farrugia, who was on the frontline of criticism against his own government over the manner Cabinet increased MPs’ honoraria in 2008, told The Sunday Times: “This allowance was never mentioned...”

Asked to comment about the government’s failure to communicate this bonus increase, Dr Farrugia added: “That is the confusion that has surrounded this whole thing.

“I keep saying that whoever was responsible for the mismanagement of this issue should assume his responsibilities. I don’t know, down the line, who was responsible, but nobody assumed responsibility.

“To be fair, when the matter (the raise as a whole) was discussed with the parliamentary group, it was not the Prime Minister who did not want to ‘come clean’.

“I wouldn’t put it squarely on his shoulders because basically, many objected.”

His comments come after The Times revealed last week that on top of steep rises in ministerial salaries and a decision to tag on their parliamentary honoraria, Cabinet in 2008 had raised the duty allowance for ministers, parliamentary secretaries and the then Speaker, Louis Galea by some €6,000 a year, to just under €8,500.

When contacted, Dr Farrugia said the allowance was different to the honoraria controversy, which prompted him to criticise Cabinet’s decision to raise MPs salaries from €19,777 to €26,772.

He said he was critical because Cabinet had decided to raise the parliamentary honorarium (and start taking this increase) without informing other parliamentarians. On top of that, MPs were going to be given the backdated sum in the midst of a recession.

“When I had objected to this, the Prime Minister had accepted the argument and the move was reversed but I have no control on the sort of decisions Cabinet takes about itself,” he said of the rise in duty allowance.

He took on board one of the government’s main arguments: that it made sense to pay a smaller Cabinet more money proportionately.

“You also have to consider that with a smaller Cabinet one would expect the remuneration to improve because they are having to shoulder more responsibility.”

The government has come under fire for failing to give a clear picture of the increases awarded to Cabinet members in 2008.

The controversy, which erupted late last year, focused on the decision to give ministers “double pay” by allowing them to also receive their honoraria as MPs.

It then turned out that the honorarium Cabinet had given itself was actually higher than the one received by MPs.

Cabinet members were also awarded higher salaries and a substantial increase in their duty allowance.

This means that ministers today are receiving almost €500 per week more than they received before the Cabinet decision in May 2008.

The opposition leader was also entitled to his MP’s honorarium, apart from his salary, and a higher duty allowance. However, he never received these additional payments and when the controversy erupted, Joseph Muscat had pledged to forward the money to a charitable fund set up by the party.