Two men were caught trespassing in the basement under the new Parliament building yesterday morning in what the Speaker called a “serious security breach”.

The two entered from what was known as the Yellow Garage, which was gated. They were found by police on patrol at level -2, behind a door that leads to the unused bridge tunnel, a restricted area, the police said.

“This is firstly a very serious security breach. The two entered an area that is not accessible to the public,” Speaker Anġlu Farrugia said.

The police made it clear the men never got into the actual Parliament building.

Meanwhile, the Speaker has questioned whether the camera surveillance system covers the whole premises and has launched an internal investigation.

This is a very serious security breach

Dr Farrugia was contacted after issuing a statement in which he thanked the police on duty at the Parliament for apprehending the two men. Both are known to the police.

Dr Farrugia had raised security concerns in April, before the official inauguration of architect Renzo Piano’s building at City Gate, Valletta.

When briefing MPs on the migration to the new premises he had said that, following consultations with the police, it was recommended that the area within the building’s perimeter should be out of bounds to the public.

He later noted that some areas might be left open.

“What if a car loaded with explosives approaches the building from Ordnance Street and is set off after entering the space underneath the building?” the Speaker asked.

He noted that, from a security point of view, the new building was much more challenging than the Presidential Palace, as its location was much more exposed.