The allegations of Russian meddling announced by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this morning are "ridiculous and presumptuous", according to Nationalist Party Leader Simon Busuttil.

He was referring to what Muscat said at a press conference about receiving information that the Egrant whistleblower story was invented to pay him back for not allowing a Russian ship to enter Malta for refuelling on its way to Syria.

Talking at a news conference at Zonqor Point where he announced more electoral pledges, Dr Busuttil said,  "I don't know whether to laugh or cry, everything he said is ridiculous and presumptuous." He went on to add that "the dates just don't add up," he said, questions whether the Russians are prophets. He said that Dr Muscat is "in a desperate situation where he is handing on to things which are ridiculous." He said that the Prime Minister has "lost the plot completely." "I appeal to the Prime Minister to have some humility,"he said, "it does not make such a big difference to Putin who is running the country."

Replying to questions by the media, Dr Busuttil, who is a member of the national security committee, said that "it is the reaction of the Prime Minister which interests me the most."

"The first thing a serious Prime Minister would do is to call a meeting with the national security committee, and that has not been called yet," he said.

Addressing the Prime Minister's allegations at a separate press conference later on in the morning, Partit Demokratiku leader Marlene Farrugia said that she would be discussing the potential meeting of the national security committee with Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil.

She went on to say that Dr Muscat's statement was extremely serious and it was essential that the country got to the bottom of these allegations.

"I find it very off, but worse things have happened and have been stated," she said. "If the security services are being mentioned we should get to the bottom of this but the reasons don't convince me."