Foreign Minister Carmelo Abela on Tuesday avoided saying whether he would publish receipts for works government employees had done at his private home in Żejtun in 2015.

“I have the receipts, but whether I make them public or not is my decision,” the minister told the Times of Malta. “All I can say is that I paid what was owed.”

In his first public comments since The Sunday Times of Malta revealed that government workers had built a rooftop veranda at his house, Mr Abela admitted that members of his family had commissioned the works, but declined to say who precisely was responsible.

The minister also dodged a question about whether he would be willing to submit himself to an independent inquiry into the matter.

“I have nothing to add to the statement I made on Sunday,” he said.

In that statement, Mr Abela had tacitly acknowledged that the works were carried out by public workers, but insisted that “to the best of his knowledge” the veranda had been installed on a Saturday and not during work hours.

“I never gave any instructions for anyone to do work during their work hours,” he said, arguing that plenty of workers had second jobs to supplement their primary income.

Mr Abela came under parliamentary pressure on Tuesday evening to make a ministerial statement about The Sunday Times of Malta revelations.

Prime Minster Joseph Muscat has remained steadfastly silent about the matter, with questions sent to his office about the affair going unanswered.

Video: Mark Zammit Cordina