Former Nationalist minister Jason Azzopardi had violated the rule of law when he went against technical advice in a six-figure Spinola land transfer case, Labour Party MPs said today. 

Speaking a day after former director-general for Lands Iman Schembri told parliament's Public Accounts Committee that the minister was always kept aware of developments in the property transfer saga, Labour MPs laid into Dr Azzopardi. 

Julia Farrugia-Portelli and Robert Abela both took Dr Azzopardi to task over his role as minister, saying that through Dr Azzopardi's intervention, a property worth €2.4 million had been transferred for €525,000 with the government receiving a mere €35 and the rest going to the Church. 

In a reaction, Dr Azzopardi accused his PL parliamentary colleagues of lying and said the National Audit Office had found no sign of political interference in the case. 

In its report, the NAO had said that while there was no evidence of political pressure by Dr Azzopardi, the "conspicuous" property deal suggested "an element of ministerial involvement."

The PN MP dismissed Mr Schembri's testimony and only referred to him as "an employee of Konrad Mizzi's ministry".  

He categorically denied having pressured anyone through phone calls and said Mr Schembri had made reference to a minuted incident which he could not produce any evidence of when asked.