Deputy Prime Minister and EU funds minister Chris Fearne said Wednesday that he has always fulfilled his duties with the “greatest correctness and integrity and have certainly never come close to breaking the law.”

In a Facebook post, Malta’s European Commissioner nominee-in-waiting was reacting to the criminal charges brought against him in the wake of the Vitals inquiry, which were filed on Monday. He is facing charges of fraud and misappropriation.

"While I am aware of what is being said about me in the media, including what the Opposition Leader said in a press conference, up till now, I have not received any official notification or summons,” Fearne said.

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech called for Fearne’s resignation on Wednesday morning, and urged Prime Minister Robert Abela to withdraw Fearne's nomination for the European Commission post.

He also said he has not seen the full proces-verbale or what the magisterial inquiry says about him. Fearne said that at this moment, he cannot comment any further.

“I only say that I have always, always fulfilled my duties with the greatest correctness and integrity and have certainly never come close to breaking the law,” Fearne said.

He continued that this was also stated by the Auditor General in three detailed reports he made about this case, so much so that he strongly observes that “the Minister of Health's (then Fearne) interference in every significant involvement in the course of this concession was related directly with public health.”