PN deputy leader David Agius’ appearance at a government event inaugurating the former Café Premier site has prompted fresh dissent within the PN’s parliamentary group.

The site’s former owners were controversially “bailed out” by the government in a €4.2 million deal back in 2013 which was dubbed as corrupt by the Opposition at the time.

Mobile phone messages from the PN MPs’ chat group, seen by this paper, show that given the PN’s stand on the matter, some MPs questioned Mr Agius’ presence at the event. Others played it down.

PN sources said Mr Aguis’s actions have served to once again raise tensions within the parliamentary group. Ever since Adrian Delia was elected leader in September, a faction of PN MPs have repeatedly called into question his credentials when it comes to tackling good governance and corruption issues.

WATCH: David Agius in attendance as controversial site inaugurated as new council building

This followed blistering attacks on Dr Delia by Daphne Caruana Galizia, who had linked him with the proceeds of a London brothel in a case dating back several years, which he denies, and highlighted his personal debts.

On Saturday, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Justice Minister Owen Bonnici, the PN deputy leader said that “from a controversy, we have made it a success”.

In the Whatsapp chat following a report which appeared on Times of Malta online, PN MP Clyde Puli assured this was not a case of anyone “flirting with Owen [Bonnici]”.

Mr Puli said the PN had not opposed the site being given to the PN-led Valletta local council during the last legislature.

“Are you now saying we should be against this when weren’t in the previous legislature?” Mr Puli wrote. In response, former deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami said he was merely delivering the message that Mr Agius’s appearance at the event had not gone down well with people.

“Rest assured, when I say something, I say it because I have the party’s best interests at heart, not because I want to cause it harm. If you look at the anger in the comment boards, it should be enough for you to understand”, Dr Fenech Adami wrote.

Mr Puli, who was an early supporter of Mr Delia, questioned in an ironic manner whether the PN should also vote against the housing units the government would be building with funds from the passport scheme.

“Exactly Clyde. Let’s make sure we don’t enter in no [sic] strait jackets, but also it’s extremely unfair that we all are subject of falling victims [sic] to bad reporting. What was said and written is certainly not fairly reflected,” PN MP Kristy Debono wrote.

Ryan Callus rebutted Mr Puli’s argument in the chat, saying he could not recall the PN ever saying the site should be handed over to the Valletta local council.  “If anything the council had to go to the Main Guard in front of The Palace,” Mr Callus said.

He acknowledged that Mr Agius said repeatedly in comments to the Times of Malta that the bailout deal was a bad one, but argued he should not have been there in the first place. At a point, Mr Callus asked Mr Puli to “calm down” during the animated chat.

Mr Callus also said he was not happy that Valletta’s mayor Alexei Dingli had allowed himself to be “used” by Dr Bonnici.

“The difference now is it has been elevated further to party level, and it will now be difficult to criticise the subject,” Mr Callus wrote.

Mr Puli assured his colleague that he was very calm, as he was at that very moment sipping a cocktail in the Dolomites.

Mr Agius defended his presence at the inauguration when questioned by the Times of Malta.

He said if the past controversy was set aside, something positive had come out of it.

“What was wrong then – the way the place was obtained – remains wrong. But the use of the place now is good,” he said, dismissing criticism that his presence had effectively endorsed a project described as scandalous by his own party.

Timeline of events

* Mr Agius says during the press conference that the controversy had been turned into a success.

* The PN deputy leader defends his presence at the inauguration.

* The PN issues a statement affirming its opposition to the bailout deal, while saying it was in favour of the site being used by the local council.