A picture of the full Egrant inquiry uploaded by the OPM's aide.

The Egrant report compiled by magistrate Aaron Bugeja is merely an 'in genere' report, and not the equivalent of a judgment, Partit Demokratiku said on Thursday.

Noting that the man in the street may not be fully conversant with the legal wording, the party said this meant that the report could not, of its own accord, exonerate or inculpate anyone.

PD also urged the Attorney General to consider the singular and unprecedented nature of this case, and published the full report immediately himself, rather than allow it to be published "in a few days’ time" by the prime minister.

It also said it was "perplexing" that the prime minister Joseph Muscat was appealing against a request made by Simon Busuttil for a magisterial inquiry to investigate him in relation to the involvement of his chief-of-staff Keith Schembri and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi in the Panama Papers.

"Partit Demokratiku urges the prime minister to reconsider his position on this issue; as otherwise he will be making a travesty of rule of law," it said.