Labour MP Karmenu Vella said today that Richard Cachia Caruana was trying to deflect attention from the PN's internal problems to what took place in Air Malta 15 years ago.

Reacting to a statement issued by Mr Cachia Caruana late yesterday (see separate story) Mr Vella said he was prepared to discuss any report, but only after the PN issue.

Mr Vella, who was appointed Tourism Minister in October 1996, stood by the version of events he described in a statement yesterday evening and presented a sworn statement this morning. He said his meeting with Mr Cachia Caruana was held at the latter's request soon after the 1996 elections but did not last long because, Mr Vella said, he immediately realised that Mr Cachia Caruana was trying to shift the blame for the decision taken by the Air Malta board to buy the RJ70 aircraft.

Questioned on Mr Cachia Caruana's claim that somebody in the management had omitted the crucial trip cost guarantee from the purchase contract for the RJ70 aircraft, Mr Vella said Air Malta had an executive chairman at the time.

He noted that Mr Cachia Caruana was not denying that mistaken decisions had been taken by Air Malta, but was only trying to distance himself from them, even though he was a member of the board, and the board was unanimous in its decisions.

He said he had not had time to publish the inquiry report Mr Cachia Caruana had spoken about, but Mr Cachia Caruana himself had had 14 years to disclose what he wanted to disclose, if that was the case.