Roads and Urban Development Minister Jesmond Mugliett yesterday wrote to the Public Accounts Committee to investigate allegations of corruption made by Opposition Leader Alfred Sant in connection with the Manwel Dimech Bridge work.

Mr Mugliett also filed a libel suit against Dr Sant, claiming that the allegations were libellous and defamatory in his regard.

In his letter to the PAC, headed by MLP deputy leader Charles Mangion, Mr Mugliett said 86 days had passed since the government invited Dr Sant to meet with Malta Transport Authority officials who are involved in the project to quiz them. He wrote that Dr Sant conveniently decided not to accept the invitation and instead persisted in his campaign of twisting facts and lies.

Mr Mugliett said that since Dr Sant did not want to air his views clearly, Parliament will now “investigate his insinuations and untruths”. Mr Mugliett said he had full faith in PAC chairman Charles Mangion and that the ensuing public inquiry should be an exhaustive one and that any person with allegations to make can do so in a free manner, benefiting from parliamentary protection.

Mr Mugliett said that had Dr Sant accepted the invitation to meet ADT officials, he would have realised that there were no wrongdoings and that would reveal his allegations to be based on doubts and not facts.

He said that Dr Sant’s tactics were aimed solely at tarnishing his good name and to undermine his integrity and said that the closer the election gets, the MLP concentrates more on trying to grasp power through stooping to the level of telling lies and making defamatory remarks.