Simon Busuttil’s insistence that Egrant is a company opened in Panama by the Prime Minister is “a surreal declaration that exposes political desperation and no respect to the rule of law”, the Labour Party said in a statement.

The former Opposition Leader says that the people share his opinion, but the people did not believe him so much so that he lost the election with the largest margin in history at a time when the Egrant magisterial inquiry had not been concluded.

Never before has Parliament seen a representative who ignores the basic principles of rule of law as with Busuttil, the PL said, recalling that he had testified in an inquiry in which he had expressed his full trust.

But, once the conclusion was not one that he liked, Busuttil is trying to undermine it with “provocative behaviour that puts him at the lowest levels of politics,” the PL said.

His successor Adrian Delia should say whether he agrees with Busuttil, the PL said. “Delia’s silence is a sign of weakness and that he has lost control of the party.”