In a joint statement issued this evening, the three public service officers who allegedly divulged information to former finance minister Tonio Fenech denied any wrongdoing. Keith Zahra, Chris Pace and Carlos Camenzuli said that the only thing they did is give their own opinion on matters that were already being discussed in public and as private citizens have the right to do so.

In the same statement, the three public officers urged politicians to stop accusing them on things that they did not do. They said that they always worked in the interest of the country and the fact that such accusations were being said in public could jeopardise the investigation process.

Pace, Zahra and Camenzuli recommended to the institutions they work for to conclude their investigations as quickly as possible.  

Earlier this afternoon, during a press conference,  PL deputy leader Dr Tony Abela said that the three public service officers who allegedly divulged ‘sensitive’ information to PN MP and former finance minister Tonio Fenech through a Google Group account, breached several Public Service directives.

Addressing a news conference at the PL’s headquarters, Dr Abela and PL MP Charles Mangion said that the distribution of sensitive government entity information by the three public service workers is a major concern since this does not do Malta any good, especially when such information was related to Malta’s robust financial sector.

Dr Mangion said that a series of e-mails, the nature of which was sensitive, were exchanged between Central Bank manager Chris Pace, MFSA communications manager Keith Zahra, National Statistics Office manager Carlos Camenzuli and Mr Fenech. According to Dr Abela, other members of the group included the former private secretary of Mr Fenech, Colin Calleja, The Times columnist and PN consultant Lawrence Zammit, the former coordinator of former minister Austin Gatt, Jesmond Saliba and former NSO head Michael Pace Ross, whose contract was not renewed late last year.

Mr Camenzuli is suspended on half pay while Mr Pace is on unpaid leave. It is understood that Mr Camenzuli has not yet been suspended.

When asked by this newsroom who was investigating these workers, Dr Abela said that each entity investigates its own workers but pointed out that one had to wait for the conclusions of the investigations.

Asked by journalists why the PL felt it should organise a news conference when the conclusions of the investigations were not yet released, Dr Abela said that the PL was reacting to PN leader Simon Busuttil’s comments that he would stick up for the workers hands down, despite the fact that these workers who are affiliated with the PN breached a number of directives and Acts.

On Sunday, Dr Busuttil said that the government seems to have no problem with those who intend to reveal something that happened in the past, which thus blackens the PN’s name, and calls whoever does so a whistleblower but those who reveal what is happening right now are dubbed spies.

Dr Mangion meanwhile questioned whether Mr Fenech encouraged such workers to breach directives in a bid to get the information he wanted.

He also said that the public service workers breached directives imposed by the previous head of civil service Godwin Grima in 2011.

Questioned whether the PL feels Mr Fenech should resign at this stage, Dr Mangion said that once the investigations are concluded, Mr Fenech should consider shouldering political responsibility.

Dr Mangion said that the information which was passed on included information related to NSO statistics. He said that the statements which were drafted by the public officers were done in English so that they could be picked up by Eurostat with the aim of tarnishing the repute of Malta’s financial sector.