The government has reacted to Opposition leader Simon Busuttil’s call for a Security Committee meeting to be convened to discuss the Libyan visa scam at the earliest opportunity by saying that the earliest date that all members can attend is on 10 September.

Speaking to this newspaper, a government spokesman said that just as Dr Busuttil could not attend other security meetings due to other commitments, this time around there are other individuals who have commitments.

The government said that when Dr Busuttil could not make it on proposed dates, an alternative was found to accommodate him.

A government spokesman explained to The Malta Independent that there are many people involved in such meetings. “The Security Meeting is composed of a number of officials who have other commitments.”

The call for the Security Meeting to be convened was made by Dr Busuttil during a radio 101 interview on Sunday to discuss the Libyan visa issue. Following this, yesterday the PN criticised the government’s “delay” to convene the committee.

The PN argued that national security issues should not be left so long to be discussed. In the statement, Dr Busuttil said: “This is a matter affecting our national security and such issues should not be left to wait for three weeks. National security is by definition a matter of urgency. The meeting should therefore be called urgently and not in three weeks.”

But the government spokesman said that the Prime Minister set a date immediately after Dr Busuttil requested the meeting.

“Dr Busuttil never said that he wanted the meeting urgently,” the government spokesman said.

The meeting is to include the Prime Minister, the leader of the Opposition and the heads of the army, the police and the security service.

Last week, former PL Treasurer and candidate Joe Sammut was charged with fraud and money laundering in the setting up of companies in Malta as a means for the granting of residence permits.