Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this evening said that Magistrate Aaron Bugeja has once again told PN Leader Simon Busuttil that documents he took before him have nothing to do with case he is looking into.

Magistrate Aaron Bugeja is handling the inquiry into allegations made against Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his family, surrounding the ownership of the Panama company Egrant.

A few weeks ago, PN Leader Simon Busuttil had gone to Magistrate Aaron Bugeja with what he said was evidence that Keith Schembri took kickbacks for the IIP scheme. Magistrate Aaron Bugeja then ordered that a new inquiry be launched. More recently, Dr Busuttil took a number of box files to court, and alleged that he had evidence that Mr Schembri made payments to former Allied Newspapers Managing Director Adrian Hillman. Magistrate Bugeja has now ordered the documents to go before another magistrate.

"After the University Debate, Simon Busuttil said he had new facts, and went with boxes of documents to the courthouse. I am told the magistrate told him that with all the documents there is nothing to do with that case."

"Maybe the PN leader's aim was to waste five days of this inquiry, What is Simon Busuttil afraid of?"

"If a shred of evidence, a shred of truth you said about me or my family is found, I will leave, no questions asked. But if it is found that he lied, then he must leave".

"And don't think that by trying to delay things to after 3 June, that it would clean his sin. When the inquiry concludes, I will personally ensure that he carries political responsibility and any other kind of responsibility for the damage he has done to Malta's name."

Dr Muscat said that the easiest thing for him to have done was to wait for the inquiry's conclusion before calling an election. He asked people to imagine the uncertainty if he hadn't called an election when he did, how the economy would have jammed. "Maybe now, those people who did not agree with my decision are realising how important that decision on 1 May was."

Turning to the leadership of the PN-PD coalition, the Prime Minister asked: "Can we afford a situation, where in order for the PM to give his position, he would first have to phone somebody else up? Can investors afford this, having a PM who can't take decisions. Do workers afford a PM who doesn't have power to defend them. Do students afford a PM who can't take decisions on their future? No, this country can't afford having an unstable government. Not an unstable government due to a crisis, but unstable in the way it was formed."

"It would mean five years of instability that depends on the mood of two people. This is no laughing matter."

"We have our defects, made our mistakes, showed you how we will fix them, but we have also done good."

He then highlighted that the PN and PD have said the opposite thing on hunting and on the proposed racing track, with one agreeing with the proposals and the other not.

He went on to quote from the EU's country specific recommendations, and noted that when it came to certain countries, the EU said that not enough was being done on corruption, however said that corruption was not mentioned under Malta

He spoke about the BWSC, and said that experts told Malta to go for gas, instead of for the oil machinery. "They changed the country's laws, sold our children's health, so that they could buy this machine which we have now changed. We now have clean energy as we are keeping future generations in our thoughts."

This government changed the economy. This government stopped raking in debt, and "instead we managed to eliminate the debt accumulated over the five years prior. It is also the first time in 31 years where we earned a surplus. We have a plan to keep this surplus at €50 million per year."

"We have just inaugurated one of three plants that will see drainage water, through a €22 million EU investment, further filter 7bn litres of this water to be used (for free) by farmers and industry, instead of being sent to the ocean."

"Our farmers are among the most who use water from boreholes. Farmers need an alternative.

"Our natural water is depleting. If we don't take action will end up without natural water. It has nothing to do with the election, but is a problem our children will face in 25 years."

He said that this government is thinking ahead.

Turning to the PN, he said that "the Opposition said they will pay for proposals with EU funds." he said that his government inherited a situation where only a portion of EU funds was spent, and this government then used 100%.

"What does the PN Leader think EU funds can be spent on? I thought he understood EU rules."

"The funds of the current EU packet are committed. We began spending them and we know how we will spend them on. Some are being used on the Kappara Junction, what will Dr Busuttil say, that he won't pay them, but rather use them for what he and Marlene want? Today we laugh, but it is no laughing matter that a party four years in opposition came out with proposals that they do not know how to pay for."

He criticised PN statements made yesterday, "saying that the Sant' Antnin fire was government's fault. honestly, this is something where in any other country their position would not be tenable. There is an ongoing investigation, let's see what happened. He decided to play the judge. We are laughing here, but these people can be in charge of your education, of healthcare, of work. It's a serious situation."

PL candidate Julia Farrugia was the first to speak, saying that PN Leader Simon Busuttil should release the PN's electoral manifesto, given that the first group of people are just four days away from voting.

She spoke of Joseph Muscat, describing him as the person who brought people to realise that together, people can achieve more, a man who implemented what he promised. "For the first time in history, we have someone who implemented 90% of what he pledged."

Julia Farrugia quoted Simon Busuttil as saying he has the credentials, "but credentials of what? A good leader corrects those around him. Salvu Mallia insulted Labourites just this morning, calling Labourites rubbish. Simon Busuttil failed the biggest test, not reigning in these people around him."

"You speak of transparency and against corruption. Tell people what you did during your time. There is the Maltco contract, and the Liquigas contract, which have clauses that will not allow government to ever publish them. This government covered the commercially sensitive parts of contracts we signed and published the rest. You are dirty not transparent."

Turning to the BWSC case (where allegedly new letters have been found showing that a letter was sent to a PN minister back in 2008 by the BWSC asking the PN government to change the law which allowed them to apply for the tender), she asked "does Simon Busuttil know of the letters in this case? They changed the law in favour for the BWSC. More than that, they wanted to make you sick, as experts told them that this station was not even acceptable in an African country."

She said that Simon Busuttil and Daphne Caruana Galizia are wasting time on a 'frame-up' on Joseph Muscat and his wife.

Gozo Minister Anton Refalo said that it was a privilege and honour to work with Joseph Muscat over the past few years. "At every chance you have, you always push Gozo forward, and we Gozitans are proud to have you as our Prime Minister."

The minister said that the tourists are constantly going to Gozo.

He quoted Simon Busuttil who said that in Gozo, only a toilet was built. "He did this in the Citadel, which was refurbished by the PL government."

Turning to the economy, he said: "we strengthened the middle-class, but we also encouraged more women to go out and work."

He spoke of the elderly home in Gozo, new law courts, a creative hub, stating that "these are projects which are occurring as Joseph Muscat believes in Gozo."

Photos by Baskal Mallia