Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil did not really tell Sai Mizzi that he was disappointed at the lack of results she produced in the last two years but rather, this was only stated in a pre-written PN press release, according to the Government’s Head of Communications, Kurt Farrugia.

Soon after the PN statement was released, Mr Farrugia tweeted: Opposition leader @SimonBusuttil meets Sai Mizzi but only tells her what he "believes" in a press release. Talk about chickens.

When contacted by this paper, Mr Farrugia said Dr Busuttil had not really spoken about “nepotism” and his “disappointment” during his meeting with Mrs Mizzi Liang. “He did not really tell her what was reported in the PN press release.” The PN press release, he said, gave the impression that Busuttil said those things to Sai Mizzi Liang’s face, but this was not the case.

The government spokesman also said it was neither true that Tonio Fenech referred to her €13,000-a-month salary.

Mr Farrugia said he was informed that Dr Busuttil only told Mrs Mizzi Liang that, in principle, he did not agree that Ministers’ wives should be given government posts and that she was there to represent the whole country, not just half. 

Reacting to Mr Farrugia’s comments, PN Communications Officer Matthew Bonett insisted that the press release quoted what was said in the meeting, including the “disappointment” comment. He also insisted that Kurt Farrugia contradicted himself by first saying that Busuttil did not speak about nepotism and then admitting that the PN Leader told Sai Mizzi he did not agree that Ministers’ wives should not be given government posts. “That is nepotism,” Mr Bonett said.