A debate between Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Simon Busuttil reached a tense climax when the Opposition leader suggested his political rival got bribed.

The trigger came from a play by Dr Muscat on the statement made Dr Busuttil before the general election in which he predicted that the country might be forced to ask for a bailout should Labour be elected.

“I think what he wanted was a bailout for his party,” Dr Muscat said. The retort was quick.

“That’s because we don’t get bribed,” fired back Dr Busuttil. At this point the Prime Minister asked if Dr Busuttil was suggesting that he got bribed and Dr Busuttil again retorted in no time: “Of course”.

He quickly qualified the comment saying the damning report of the Auditor General into the government’s decision to buy back the lease of the Café Premier for €4.2 million raised this sort of suspicion. However, the Prime Minister at that point had already gone on the attack, saying the statement was unacceptable and that his opponent had reached new depths.