Prime Minister Joseph Muscat today appeared unfazed about a report by the government anti-money laundering agency (FIAU), which concluded there was a reasonable suspicion his chief of staff had laundered money received from passport sale kickbacks.

Read: Schembri, Tonna suspects in ‘proceeds of crime’ related to kickbacks from passports' sale

Questioned why he persisted in his defence of Mr Schembri given the FIAU’s clear findings, Dr Muscat instead chose to turn his aim on PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami.

Dr Muscat said that if Opposition leader Simon Busuttil thought the FIAU report was problematic, he had a bigger problem in the form of Beppe Fenech Adami.

He said the Opposition leader should tell Dr Fenech Adami not to contest the election.

Dr Busuttil today appealed to the Attorney General to publish any other FIAU reports.

Read: Publish the other FIAU reports, Simon Busuttil tells AG

Dr Muscat reiterated that if the inquiring magistrate thought there were grounds for a criminal investigation, then Mr Schembri would have to resign.

Asked if he was concerned that the police sat on this report for a year without taking any action, Dr Muscat said that question would have to be put to the police.

Read: FIAU had asked the police to probe Keith Schembri

Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar has in the past said there was no reasonable suspicion to investigate either Mr Schembri or minister Konrad Mizzi.

Attorney General Peter Grech, who chairs the FIAU, has insisted that he did not have the power to initiate a prosecution or conduct investigations.

Read: ‘I have no power to prosecute', AG says

However, anti-money laundering legislation gives the Attorney General the sole power to request a criminal court to investigate cases where there was a reasonable suspicion of money laundering.