The Parliamentary Committee for economic and financial matters will not be moved to summon MFSA chairman Joe Bannister because it does not take instructions via a Facebook post, committee chairman Silvio Schembri said.

He was replying to a request made by independent MP Marlene Farrugia last Saturday, (reported in The Malta Independent) in which she said that the committee should summon Prof. Bannister in the wake of serious allegations repeatedly levelled against him by Education Minister Evarist Bartolo, also on Facebook.

Dr Farrugia gave the committee a two-week ultimatum, and if this is not met she said she would be presenting a motion for the matter to be debated in the plenary session.

Mr Schembri however said he would not be taking the bait and his committee would not be subject to ultimatums. Neither would it be drawn to reply to requests made via the social media.

No formal request has been made by Dr Farrugia through the normal parliamentary channels.