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Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this morning defended Parliamentary Secretary  Franco Mercieca saying “he was unjustly targeted by the media”, over the waiver granted to him to keep practising as an ophthalmic surgeon in breach of the ministerial code of ethics. The prime minister made statement  at the end of a visit to Allcare Insurance in Msida.

Earlier today it was revealed that Dr Mercieca had agreed to stop his private practice with immediate effect following a story published on a Sunday newspaper from which it transpired that he was earning €3,600 in a single morning by carrying out cataract and laser operations in a private hospital. The Parliamentary Secretary will continue to work free of charge at Mater Dei Hospital.

This story piled even more pressure on the prime minister since the waiver was not given to carry out such ‘routine’ operations but highly specialised ones such as phakic implants and cornea cross-linking operations. Dr Muscat had always rested his case to grant this waver arguing that “otherwise patients would have to go abroad for treatment”.  

Though today's visit at Allcare Insurance was intended to mark the official inauguration of the company, as soon as the event was over the focus shifted immediately on the controversy surrounding Dr Mercieca, with the prime minister facing questions from the media.

The prime minister said that Dr Mercieca immediately agreed to stop private practice to avoid any possible misunderstanding or misinterpretations of the waiver.

In his comments the prime minister went on the offensive saying that a former cabinet member during the PN-led administration was providing consultancy against payment to a government company. He added that he can corroborate his claim since he is in possession of the contract which dates back to the time before this MP was appointed minister.Dr Muscat said that this former minister continued providing consultancy even after joining cabinet.

Asked repeatedly to reveal the identity of this former minister, the prime minister said he would only do so when the time is right.

Asked by The Malta Independent online whether the information revealed on Sunday was news to him, the prime minister gave no definite reply but said that the important thing is that Dr Mercieca immediately agreed to stop his private practice.  

Dr Muscat said this decision also means that at least one patient will have to seek treatment abroad. He added that Dr Mercieca was in the process of phasing out his cataract waiting list and was also training people in laser technology.

PS caught red handed breaching code of ethics - PN

In a statement the PN said that Dr Mercieca was caught red handed in a clear breach of the ministerial code of ethics. The PN said that notwithstanding this serious breach, he was pocketing €3,600 for a half day’s work  at his private practice.

The PN said that the Prime Minister defended his Parliamentary Secretary and chose to attack the media for revealing this breach of conduct and the Opposition for demanding action from his government. On the other hand he did not fire Dr Mercieca as he should have done, said the PN.

The statement said that Dr Muscat fired competent people from important posts to appoint his chosen few, but then chose to defend at all cost a member of his cabinet who breached the code of ethics.  The PN said that this is yet another shocking case of two weights two measures by this administration.