The Maltese are paying for the government’s corruption, the Nationalist Party claimed yesterday during a press conference held in front of the Gaffarena petrol station in Qormi.

The public was still being fleeced when it came to petrol and diesel prices, which remained among the highest in the EU.

Meanwhile, the Gaffarena scandal, which led to the resignation of planning parliamentary secretary Michael Falzon, as well as the visas scandal, showed the extent of corruption, the PN maintained.

Dr Falzon resigned after the Auditor General found “collusion” between the Land Department and Mark Gaffarena in the expropriation of a Valletta property. The government acquired the property, worth €944,500, but Mr Gaffarena received €3.4m: €516,000 in cash and €2.9m in land.

In the visas scandal a number of people, including former Labour Party treasurer Joe Sammut, were arraigned in court in connection with fraud to enable Libyans to set up companies in Malta and become eligible for residence permits.

Marthese Portelli, shadow minister for energy and transport, said international oil prices were down to $25 a barrel (it rose to $29.44 on Friday).

She said the Auditor General had confirmed that Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi was interfering directly in the purchase of oil from Azeri company Socar, which led to a loss of €14 million in fuel hedging.

“This is a clear example of how the Maltese families are paying for the government’s corruption,” she said.