Mr Agius was speaking at a party activity at the party’s club in Ta’ Xbiex, shortly before the prime minister addressed the activity.

Mr Agius said that the Labour-led Dingli council had commissioned Architect Buhagiar to carry out government-funded roadwork.

He said that Mr Buhagiar never inspected the site and as a consequence the work was not done properly.

To the detriment of the Dingli residents, the work has now been halted and will probably have to be re-done at the expense of public funds.

Mr Agius questioned the choice of Mr Buhagiar, calling it “a coincidence”, and even queried how Mr Buhagiar had the audacity to make parliamentary questions about the methods used to choose workers and architects on particular public works when he himself was involved in this mess.

“I am morally convinced – this phrase has already been used some time ago – that the work was done badly on purpose,” he said.