The Opposition this afternoon called on the Prime Minister to open a court case to try to recover the €4.2 million related to the Café Premier controversy.

Addressing a press conference in front of the law courts, PN Shadow Minister Jason Azzopardi urged the Prime Minister to show consistency by opening court cases to recoup money the same way he opened a case to claim back the money following the Gaffarena scandal.

A damning report published last Wednesday found "collusion" between the Land Department and businessman Mark Gaffarena in the expropriation of a Valletta property. The Auditor General's report led to the resignation of Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon.

Following the NAP report, the Prime Minister opened a court case against the Gaffarenas and the land department to annul the two deeds signed on the Old Mint property.

The PN accused the Prime Minister of leading a "farce" since the Land Department he is suing is part of his own political responsibility.

Accusing the Prime Minister of double standards, Dr Azzopardi slammed Joseph Muscat over his personal intervention which ensured that the owners of Café Premier in Valletta were given €4.2 million to give back to the government its own property.

In a reaction, the Labour Party said the Cafe' Premier issue did not involve transfer of property but purchase of a property through a transaction. Therefore the Government Property Transfers Act did not apply.

The property would henceforth be used by Valletta local council and one was led to ask whether the opposition agreed with this.