The Prime Minister this morning laughed off a statement, made by independent MP Marlene Farrugia in Parliament yesterday, about "spies in every ministry" reporting to OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri.

Asked this morning by The Malta Independent for his comments about the suggestion, Dr Joseph Muscat denied that this is happening, saying that there are no "007s" in government, referring to James' Bond codename.

Dr Muscat said that the Panama Papers issue was not a happy situation for the government, but he could not punish Keith Schembri for having been successful in life prior to the 2013 general election.

Asked about the suggestion made by Dr Farrugia that an ad hoc committee, with a government majority, is set up to ask pertinent questions to Mr Schembri, the Prime Minister said that Mr Schembri has already made his explanations in public. He said that the Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil is being negative and that he "cannot stand watching the country being more successful."

He said that Simon Busuttil yesterday in Parliament said things which were false or that were not completely true. "Ultimately, the public has all the available information at hand and can make their judgement."

On the hunting moratorium which was announced by the government yesterday, Dr Joseph Muscat said that this came about following an unprecedented consensus between the hunters. He said that it was the hunters who even proposed the moratorium to be applied.

Dr Muscat thanked the hunting community in Malta for their cooperation. "We will now await the reaction by the European Commission and move on from there," he added.