Former Gozo Minister Anton Refalo will not be giving up his seat in the House of Parliament after his exclusion in Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's cabinet, Refalo has told The Malta Independent.

The newsroom had been informed that Refalo was considering retiring from parliament, and attempted to contact him numerous times over the last couple of days.

Last Thursday, the PM announced that Justyne Caruana, who served as Parliamentary Secretary for the Elderly and Disabled persons in the previous legislature, will be the new Gozo Minister, in spite of Refalo receiving the highest first preference votes in the 13th district.

At the press conference, Muscat also revealed that Refalo did not want to accept any other cabinet position barring the Gozo Ministry.

Refalo was linked to a recent scandal in which two youths who were busted for drug trafficking were not charged after an intervention by two "senior" politicians. A subsequent inquiry found no wrongdoing on the part of Refalo and Manuel Mallia, the other minister identified in the case.

Over the past couple of weeks he was criticised after it emerged that hundreds of people were employed with the ministry or Gozo Channel in the days before the general election. He was also made the headlines when he acquired, with Gozo Ministry funds, an 'overpriced' Mattia Preti painting for the Gozo Museum collection. The painting cost the taxpayer over $400,000. Later, the former minister refused to say what his personal extensive art collection was worth.

Refalo, is currently the longest serving Parliamentarian along with Joe Mizzi. He was elected to Parliament for the first time in 1987, and has retained his seat ever since.