The police have cleared Nationalist whip David Agius of claims he obstructed justice when he defended a parker who was being questioned by officers.

Two police officers filed a report against Mr Agius last April, claiming the MP prevented them from investigating a complaint about a parker operating near the basketball pavilion at Ta’ Qali.

Mr Agius adamantly denied the claims, saying he was simply asked by the general secretary of the Malta Basketball Association to confirm to the police that the parking area belonged to the association.

MBA secretary Joseph Muscat had confirmed his version of events, saying the parking area was part of the association’s premises and had been transferred to it through a parliamentary resolution.

“I asked David Agius, as an MP, to inform the policemen that the land had been transferred to the association in Parliament,” he said, adding the licensed parker was operating legally.

The police initially wanted to take the parker’s particulars but he insisted that if a report was going to be filed it had to be against the MBA officials.

The police officers refused to verify the facts and view the contract to confirm that the site had been transferred to the association even when they were told to have a look at it at its offices nearby, the MBA had said.

Replying to questions sent via e-mail by The Times on April 11, the police confirmed yesterday that the investigation had been concluded but there were “no grounds for criminal action”, adding they had spoken to all the people involved in the case.

“Kindly also note that the parker in question is duly licensed by the competent authority to work as a parker and that the area used as a parking space was leased to MBA by the competent authority,” the police said.