The opposition today filed a motion for the House of Representatives to discuss the European Parliament’s rule of law report published on 11 January.

PN deputy leader David Agius, Whip Robert Cutajar and MP Jason Azzopardi presented the motion to the Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia.

The report was published after a European Parliament delegation visited Malta in November with the aim of "investigating alleged contraventions and maladministration in the application of union law in relation to money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion".

The opposition is asking to discuss the 13 recommendations made by the committee, which deal with the rule of law in Malta, financial services, money laundering, Pilatus Bank and whistle blowers, Azzopardi said.

Both Agius and Azzopardi stressed the serious recommendations given by this report with Azzopardi criticising the fact that Maltese parliament has not yet tackled what was discussed at the European Parliamentary level - "it cannot be that this report passes as if nothing happened," he said.

Reacting, the Labour Party said Azzopardi was “doing all he could” to help colleague David Casa “remain relevant.”

It said the PN MEP was being shunned by certain quarters of the party.

It said the EP report had already been discussed in Brussels but the government had no problem to debate it in the Maltese Parliament.

On the other hand, it said, if the PN wants to be credible it should launch a section on tax evasion and on how those who wanted the rule of law paid their taxes, in a clear reference to PN Leader Adrian Delia, who still has an unsettled tax bill amounting to around €80,000.