The Public Accounts Committee has been asked by the Opposition to discuss and scrutinise the contract the government signed with Henley and Partners for the implementation of the individual investor programme, commonly known as the citizenship scheme.

The request was made via a letter written by Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi, following replies given by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat that the information on the contract cannot be divulged because of sensitive information. The letter also mentions a declaration made by a Henley and Partners official who said on TV that the contract could not be made public because of national security issues.

Dr Azzopardi claimed that the Opposition cannot accept that a private company has such sensitive information and therefore tabbed a request for the PAC to discuss the issue.

A discussion ensued between members of the committee, following which chairman Tonio Fenech said that, as it is his right as an MP, he will be requesting a ruling from the Speaker on whether the contract in question could be made available to the committee for discussion in spite of a court order – in a court case which involves the government against a company which is contesting the granting of the contract to Henley and Partners - saying that the contract in question is to be kept under wraps for matters of national security.

Earlier on, Mr Fenech said that he is of the opinion that the committee should be able to scrutinise the contract since its contents fall under its remit. Minister Owen Bonnici said that a court case has been instituted against the government by a company in competition with Henley and Partners, and Mr Justice J. R Micallef had ruled that the contract in question is to be kept secret because it contained matters which are commercially sensitive and affected national security.

Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi said that Parliament is supreme and is not a party in the case, and therefore the contract should be made available.

Government whip Carmelo Abela said that the government had no difficulty to discuss the contract but procedure should be followed and the PAC had a long agenda in front of it.

Dr Azzopardi said that this was just a delaying tactic on the part of the government.

Dr Bonnici disagreed with Mr Fenech when the latter expressed the suggestion that, as a committee, a request should be made to the Speaker on whether the contract could be made available in spite of the pending court case. Dr Bonnici said that it was only when the subject was to be discussed that such a ruling should be requested.

Mr Fenech said that as MP he could ask for a ruling any time and that it what he will be doing.