Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this morning accused PN leader Simon Busuttil of using the shooting incident involving the driver of Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia to try score political points, adding it is untrue that Dr Busuttil is trying seek the truth.

The shots were fired by the driver of the minister towards the car of a British man on Wednesday night under the Tal-Qroqq tunnels. The driver has since been suspended pending a magisterial inquiry.

In a statement issued on Wednesday night the government initially said that warning shots were fired in the air but it later turned out that that the shots were in actual fact fired at the Briton's car.

Speaking on One radio, Dr Muscat said that the government is out to seek the truth and the government has no time to play political games.

He said that the overreaction from the side of a police constable, referring to the driver of the minister, is unacceptable and the government has nothing to hide. "So much so, that the government has called a magisterial inquiry to be held,"he added.

Turning to the budget, Dr Muscat said that the government was rewarding those who want to work.

He said this year's budget was built on last year's. The people realised that this government had a plan and that the plan is working out. He said that the government has managed, this year, to reduce unemployment and bring about economic growth.

This, he reiterated, shows that our plans are working despite the fact that the PN had said that the country would need to go for a bail-out once the PL governed.

Dr Muscat also highlighted that the government is ensuring that social benefits go towards those who are really in need of them, such as persons with a disability and those individuals who are facing particular circumstances. He said that the government received positive reactions to the budget, accept from the Opposition.

PN reacts

Meanwhile, in a statement, the PN said that in this mess that the Prime Minister finds himself in, he still seems more focused on the opposition's claims, rather than removing Minister Mallia from the Cabinet.

The PN said that Dr Muscat needs to make a decision as the Prime Minister and to sack a minister who was caught lying and who tried to cover the whole incident up.

The PN said Dr Muscat knows what the truth is because he is defending Dr Mallia and that Dr Mallia was coached by a communications official to give a press conference to journalists on Thursday.

Instead of attacking the opposition, the Prime Minister should be trying to establish why Dr Mallia's driver has not been arrested ager he fired three shots at the Scotsman in question.

The PN also questioned who gave the order for the driver to not be arrested despite such a serious crime.