The Prime Minister has not replied to questions on his government’s U-turn on releasing the names of people mentioned in the Swiss Leaks.

The 2015 Swiss Leaks data was based on around 60,000 files providing details on over 100,000 bank accounts from an HSBC Geneva branch.

In March 2015, Joseph Muscat had said the government had obtained the data from the French government and would be publishing the names of all politically-exposed Maltese mentioned in it.

However, replying to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina this week, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said publication would be in breach of the Official Secrets Act.

Times of Malta asked whether the Prime Minister was aware of the Official Secrets Act when he made the pledge to publish the names.

However, questions sent to his spokesman remained unanswered.

He was also asked whether the Prime Minister would be giving directions so that the names of those politically exposed would be published. No answers were given at the time of writing.

Read: Swiss Leaks probe is ‘still under way’ - Muscat

According to the Income Tax Management Act, tax information should be treated “as secret and confidential except as may be necessary for the purposes of the Income Tax Acts, or where the Prime Minister otherwise directs”.

In a curt reply, the Finance Ministry told Times of Malta that it had nothing to add to the answer given by Prof. Scicluna to the parliamentary question on Tuesday.

Published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists – also behind the Panama Papers and the Paradise Papers – the Swiss Leaks showed that over €600 million was kept in 139 bank accounts linked to Maltese individuals and entities.

It had emerged that former Nationalist minister Ninu Zammit hid some $3.2 million in Geneva from Maltese tax authorities, while his former Cabinet colleague Michael Falzon had the equivalent of €465,000 deposited there.