The Nationalist Party is taking the Electoral Commission before the Constitutional Court, arguing that it should not be the one to investigate and judge alleged breaches of the party funding law.  

"It is unacceptable for the Nationalist Party that the Electoral Commission will both investigate and judge, more so when the majority of the members of the commission are nominated by Joseph Muscat and vote according to what suits Joseph Muscat. This makes the process vitiated, with the conclusion known before the process would have even started."  

Such an investigation by the commission would be in breach of the constitution and fundamental human rights, the PN said.

It recalled that it made the same argument during the parliamentary debate on the Party Funding Bill, but it was ignored by the government. 

The Constitutional Court itself recently laid down that it alone was competent to pass judgment, in order to ensure that such a decision was impartial.  

The PN said it remained open to an investigation that was fair, impartial and legal. 

The case centres on donations made to the PN by the DB Group. The party insists the donations were legal and they were made to its media as programme sponsorship.

The Labour Party in a reaction to the PN court case, said that those who had nothing to hide were not scared of judgement.

Justice minister Owen Bonnici told a press conference that Simon Busuttil had originally said that he had nothing to hide and would defend the case. Yet now he was attacking the Electoral Commission.

Dr Busuttil had also said he would return the money given by the DB group, but he had not.

He also asked whether there were other companies which were covering the salaries of the PN, as the DB Group had been doing.

Would Dr Busuttil publish the 'false invoices' sent to the DB Group? 

Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said this was a case which started and ended with Dr Busuttil and said the court case against the Electoral Commission was an attempt by the PN to buy time.