Leo Brincat conveniently, and “purely for the usual partisan propaganda purpos-es”, ignored the deliberations of the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives on the Auditor’s report on the Voice of the Mediterranean when he was critical of the term of office of ambassador Richard Muscat having been extended for a further one year, as is the norm, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

Mr Brincat had indeed ignored the fact that, by admission of its own chair, his own deputy leader, the Public Accounts Committee had been inconclusive in its deliberations and needed more time to consider matters.

Clearly it would have been inappropriate for Foreign Minister Michael Frendo to substitute his own judgment for that of the Committee of the House, said the statement.

In extending the term of service of ambassador Muscat, and also of ambassador Gaetan Naudi who was not mentioned by Mr Brincat, the Foreign Minister sent both ambassadors a letter in which he made reference to the inconclusive deliberations of the Public Accounts Committee and said that, in view of this, he was keeping the matter under review, pending developments.