The resignation of Malta’s Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, Richard Muscat, has sparked a heated exchange between the Foreign Affairs Ministry and Opposition Leader Alfred Sant.

Mr Muscat on Friday tendered his resignation from his post as Ambassador to Ireland after his son was accused by a girl of sexually assaulting her last October.

In a statement the ministry accused Dr Sant of disseminating uncertainties as always without being informed of the facts. In this case, said the ministry, the Opposition Leader did not take into account what the ministry had previously said, that is that diplomatic immunity was not demanded, and that Minister Michael Frendo had formally renounced it.

Dr Sant, added the ministry, did not seem to believe that the minister and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi were not aware of the case until just a day prior to Mr Muscat’s resignation.

The ministry accused Dr Sant of engaging in long-winded politics and that he should have appreciated the minister’s professional conduct during this affair in the country’s best interest.

On his part, Dr Sant said the government’s statement regarding Richard Muscat was shameful and a Maltese government had rarely shamed the Maltese so badly.

Dr Sant said it was the government which mentioned Mr Muscat’s son’s health problems in public first. He himself had commented that never had any government stooped to levels as low as hiding its shortcomings behind someone’s health condition.

The Labour Party leader reiterated his claim that the government was being economical with the truth. It was inconceivable that neither the Foreign Minster nor the Prime Minister were unaware of the assault that allegedly took place last October, said Dr Sant. He added that the Irish media held different views on whether Mr Muscat had used his diplomatic immunity. What was more, another story appeared on one medium saying that more than one incident had taken place in October 2006.

The government was showing time and again, whenever a case was exposed, that it was not observing the rules of transparency and accountability, said Dr Sant. This case was just another token of how the Gonzi administration was achieving new lows in public administration.