The Labour Party is crying foul over the acquisition of a property belonging to HSBC by the previous administration against the advice of permanent secretary Alfred Camilleri.

The property in Republic Street, Valletta, was acquired for €2.2 million for a period of 11 years and remained unutilised until last year when it was converted to house the Tourism Ministry.

Labour deputy leader Toni Abela and backbencher Silvio Schembri said the deal, which former finance minister Tonio Fenech went ahead with despite Mr Camilleri’s objections, raised various questions that deserved an answer.

Dr Abela said the argument that the place was acquired to start being used immediately did not make sense because a report commissioned after the deal clearly showed that it needed repairs for which another €250,000 were needed.

Moreover, Mr Fenech went for the highest offer and the place was only put to use by the current administration.

But the matter was described as “a storm in a teacup” by the Nationalist Party that accused Dr Abela and Mr Schembri of clutching at straws.

“A party which is stooping low in its levels day after day, will do anything to try and distract people’s attention from its own scandals,” the PN said.

The HSBC property had been mentioned by Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon during a press conference last week when he defended his early retirement package.