Nationalist deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami has again called on PrimeMinister Joseph Muscat to dismissParliamentary Secretary Ian Borg in light of the Ombudsman’s findings on how a Mepa permit was issued for his Rabat property.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Dr Fenech Adami insisted that Dr Muscat should “walk the talk”, observing that the Prime Minister had promised to fight corruption in his New Year message.

“Now is the time to shift from acting to reality and to really fight corruption and abuse,” he said, referring to the controversial 20-minute message, which came under much public scrutiny.

The deputy leader also called on Dr Borg to assume political responsibility and resign from Parliament.

The Permanent Commission Against Corruption last month said it had found no evidence up to the level required by criminal law that could lead to the conclusion that Dr Borg or anyone else had carried out, tried to carry out or was in any way an accomplice in any crime.

The Ombudsman had found that Dr Borg employed a “devious method” to apply for a Mepa permit and had forwarded his report to the commission for further investigation.

The commission said it endorsed the Ombudsman’s report because his Office was superior to it, with the Ombudsman being a constitutional post.

The longer the Prime Minister took to act against Dr Borg, the more he came across as weak, Dr Fenech Adami went on.

The same, he said, applied to Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon and former acting police commissioner Ray Zammit who now heads the Local Enforcement Agency.

Opposition spokesman on planning Ryan Callus called on Mepa to revoke the permit issued to Dr Borg and to ensure that no works were carried out on the property.

In a statement, the Labour Party said the report by the anti-corruption commission made it very clear that there were no illegalities tied to Dr Borg’s property and the way he obtained the Mepa permits and the Opposition was not correct in saying that was the case.