Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi has submitted a formal request to the Public Accounts Committee to scrutinise in detail the government’s contract with Henley & Partners.

In a statement, the PN said it was making this request after the Home Affairs Minister refused to give details about the contract in two parliamentary questions by the Opposition leader on the pretext that it contained information of a confidential nature and that was commercially sensitive.

The PN noted Henley & Partners had declared on national television that it could not publish the contract because of national security.

It was not acceptable that a foreign firm had information on national security which Parliament, the highest institution of the country, was refused access to, the PN said.

Henley and Partners administers the Individual Investor Programme, better known as the citizenship scheme.

OPPOSITION SHOULD DECLARE ITS INTERESTS

In a statement, the government said the Opposition was trying to hinder the government's citizenship programme by attacking an international company which was chosen following a transparent and competitive programme.

It said it was interesting that this attack coincided with the action of another company which competed in the process and which was represented by a firm of lawyers led by a former minister who was currently a Nationalist MP.

While the government respected the role of the Public Accounts Committee, the Opposition should declare its interests.