Updated - Minister replies - The Nationalist Party said today that Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia was being belied by his own words about the oil procurement scandal.

It  published comments made by Dr Mallia during the electoral campaign when he said that he did not know about the oil procurement scandal before reading about it in the newspapers.

On Monday, oil trader George Farrugia said Dr Mallia had known since 2010. 

In a pre-election press conference Dr Mallia had said:

“And I repeat before the people of Malta and Gozo and before you journalists who can ask whatever questions you like. I knew nothing before reading about it in the newspaper.”

Later he said:

“I did not know that there was bribery in oil procurement. I was probably in the same situation as you, a Maltese citizen who imagined that oil procurement was made in a regular manner.”

The PN noted that Mr Farrugia said in sworn testimony before the Public Accounts Committee on Monday that Dr Mallia had known of corruption in oil procurement to the extent that he threatened to report him unless he reached a settlement on John’s Garage. Mr Farrugia was at the time in dispute with the rest of his family, who were shareholders in John’s Garage.

Dr Mallia was engaged by the family members.

The PN said Dr Mallia was trying to hide behind professional secrecy even though Mr Farrugia was never his client. It insisted that the Prime Minister and Dr Mallia needed to shoulder their political responsibilities.

MINISTER REPLIES

In a reaction, Dr Mallia in a statement said he stood by his actions before the general election because he was bound by professional secrecy as a lawyer.

He reiterated that the PN statements were only meant to try to hide the PN's political responsibility for the oil procurement scandal.