Almost all thirty minutes allocated to question time this evening were used up on a single parliamentary question, which saw Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil squabble on the Opposition’s request for information about foreigners who were granted Maltese citizenship through the IIP scheme.

The original question was put forward by PN MP Jason Azzopardi. He asked how many applications had been submitted under the IIP and how many were approved. Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg, speaking on behalf of Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela, said the question had already been answered by the government some months ago.

Dr Azzopardi, however, insisted that the government had so far failed to say where the 13 succesful applicants were from. PN MP Claudio Grech then asked where the €650,000 deposit that each of them had to make was deposited and how the money was being used.

Dr Borg said he could not answer the question but remarked that the PN had come to accept the IIP and the millions it was bringing into the economy. The question about the money raised by the IIP programme should be asked to the Home Affairs Minister, who would surely oblige.

Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil then stepped into the fray, saying that Ian Borg’s comment was “rich” coming from a person who is responsible for administering millions of euro obtained from the previous administration. “If it was not for these funds you would not even have a portfolio let alone be in a position to spend the money we obtained.” The IIP monitoring committee, he said, had not met since last October. The house should be kept informed about how many passports have been sold and who they have been sold to.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he had asked for the information given in the previous PQs to be revised. “By the grace of god the number of applications has increased because the scheme is a success.” He insisted that the Opposition has to be clear about its position on the scheme. The Opposition Leader should state if he still intended to revoke the passports when in power. He also passed remarks on Dr Busuttil’s upcoming visit to China.

“I am going to China to see what Sai Mizzi, who is paid €13,000 a month, is doing,” Dr Busuttil replied. “I hope she gives me an appointment when I ask for one. We should know where these people who were given a passport are from. We are not interested in the applicants. We want to know who these new Maltese citizens are. The PM was supposed to remove the secrecy clause from the IIP. Has he indeed removed it?”

Dr Muscat retorted that instead of going to China to see what investment opportunities Malta had he was going there to pry on others. He insisted that the law states that at least one meeting has to be held every year. This is what was happening. He insisted that Simon Busuttil had to say if he would still be revoking the passports given under the IIP.

Dr Busuttil, on the other hand, said the Prime Minister should state what his position was on the political responsibility that he had to shoulder on the Mark Gaffarena scandal. “It is futile to beat around the bush. Just give us the information about the nationalities of the succesful IIP applicants.” He challenged Dr Muscat to say when the committee would hold the next meeting.

The PM said Dr Busuttil knew that the replies to these questions were given during the last committee meeting. “The committee met in October. We are well within the parameters of the law. If the need arises other meetings will be held. He again asked if Dr Busuttil was still insisting that he would revoke the passports given through the IIP.

The PN Leader retorted that the PM’s role was not to ask questions, but to answer them. “Will you hold a meeting of the IIP committee this very week and give us the information there? Will you not do this if you are so transparent?”

The Prime Minister said the names would be given but refused to say when the committee would be meeting, other than insisting that meetings would be held as required by the law. Dr Busuttil, he said, was not even trying to become a Prime Minister because he would not even answer the most basic question.

Dr Busuttil said 22 minutes had been spent so far on this particular PQ and no answers were given. The head of the government, he said, did not want to answer these questions. He accused the PM of misleading the house when he said that the information requested was included in a report compiled by Godwin Grima and presented in the last meeting, because it was not.

Dr Muscat said he did not say all information was included in the report, but most of it was. He insisted that the information given during that meeting even went into the geographical aspect. “We are delivering on our electoral promises and everything is being done according to the law,” he said. He insisted that applications for the IIP scheme will keep increasing.

Dr Busuttil insisted once again that the Prime Minister had not answered the question. He remarked that his position on the IIP had been answered long ago, when the government amended the IIP no less than three times after insistence by the Opposition.