Updated 2.53 p.m. with government statement
The prime minister, ministers and parliamentary secretaries this afternoon denied a claim by Labour leader Joseph Muscat that a minister had requested the release of somebody held at the police lock-up.
In a statement, the government said Dr Muscat was trying to divert attention away from the case where PL deputy leader Toni Abela went to a police station, found a policeman who supported the Labour Party and asked him not to proceed further in a case. What had happened showed that the Labour Opposition regarded the police as a political instrument, the government said.
"The Prime Minister, ministers and parliamentary secretaries strongly deny the allegations made by Dr Muscat and which he himself failed to substantiate," the statement said.
In his comments this morning, the Labour leader implied that a minister had requested the release of somebody held by the police at the lock up, but refused to elaborate when asked by journalists.
Dr Muscat made the allegation during a press conference at the Bidnija Shooting Range, while refusing to comment when asked about PL deputy leader Toni Abela who has been in the headlines in recent days after a secret recording emerged in which he talks about telling a Labourite policeman not to press charges in a case.
While saying he had nothing more to add on the Toni Abela issue, Dr Muscat said it was much more serious for a minister to call for someone to be released from the lock up.
When pressed to say more, Dr Muscat told the journalists that he said what he had to say and their work now was to investigate. He said that if there was a minister who had ever done this, he should speak up.
Dr Muscat was also asked about the Lino Farrugia Sacco case. Judge Farrugia Sacco is facing an impeachment motion after he was mentioned by the International Olympic Committee in a probe over the sale of Olympic tickets.
Dr Muscat reiterated that it made more sense for the judge to leave the post until a decision was taken.
About the case of George Farrugia, who has been given a Presidential pardon in the oil procurement scandal as long as he returned the proceeds of a corruption ring he formed part of, Dr Muscat said the amount mentioned was ridiculous. He described the sum as ‘tips’.