The Opposition will be requesting the Public Accounts Committee chairman to investigate an alleged breach of public contract conditions between the government and the General Workers Union.

The alleged breach of contract is for the renting out of part of the premises of the GWU to a third party – in this case Arms Ltd - by the union in Bakery Street, Valletta.

Addressing a news conference outside the GWU premises, shadow minister for citizens’ rights, justice and democracy Jason Azzopardi and Opposition spokesperson for lands and Mepa Ryan Callus said that the PN will be asking PAC to investigate whether the conditions of a 12 December 1997 public contract – which was agreed upon following a parliamentary resolution – have been breached.

The PN is also asking whether the Commissioner of Lands was made aware that the premises were to be rented out to Arms Ltd and whether he was roped in on the matter in the first place.

Mr Callus said that the GWU is remaining silent on the issue and always comes out in favour of the present government’s actions, be it regarding the high fuel prices or the issue of the monti. It is only the GWU who stuck its neck out for the government and praised it over the controversial issue of the relocation of the monti, he said.

Dr Azzopardi said that GWU secretary-general Tony Zarb refused to reply to questions made by a section of the media on the issue of the alleged breach of contract.

Asked by a One journalist to comment on the fact that he had sent a letter to hawkers on the day of the general election, Dr Azzopardi replied that "it is as if the PL media discovered America".

“The e-mail I had sent was published in The Times two months after the March election; I do not feel dishonoured in any way for sending the e-mail to hawkers,” he said.

He explained that two days prior to the election, hawkers’ representatives approached him and asked him if the PN was prepared to agree with the hawkers that if the PN is re-elected, it would transfer the monti from Merchants’ street to Ordnance street (near the new parliament building). The representatives told me that they had made a similar agreement with the PL, he said.

“My reply was an outright no but I told the representatives that I would consult with my superiors and would get back to them, which I did. On the afternoon of election day I sent an e-mail setting a number of conditions which indirectly meant that the move would not be a permanent one.

“The difference between the PN and the PL is that the PL made an agreement with hawkers secretly while the PN published the e-mail and was open about the issue. The PL did not make public the agreement they made with hawkers prior to the March election,” he pointed out.