The Office of the Prime Minister has not yet responded to questions sent on April 15, regarding a fine that Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi was meant to pay for a breach in tax law.

Six weeks ago, in the first week of March, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that Minister Konrad Mizzi had not yet paid a fine for breaching the tax law. Originally Dr Muscat had made a mistake and said it was paid, rectifying his error the next day saying that it had not yet been paid. The breach in tax law occurred as the Minister did not declare his ownership of the company within 30 days from its creation.

Minister Mizzi and Mr Schembri have both been under heavy fire for many weeks, with strong calls for both their resignations after it was revealed that they both owned companies in Panama. This has reflected poorly on Malta’s embattled Prime Minister, who yesterday faced a vote of no confidence and whose inaction has resulted in rampant speculation and frequent questions about the reasoning behind his delay.

The Times of Malta recently reported that Mr Schembri did not declare his Trust until the news broke in the media and that he too had breached tax law and thus also faces a fine. They also reported that Mr Schembri had previously said that he declared the Trust to the relevant authorities in New Zealand and eventually the Maltese authorities.

The Panama Papers placed Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi side by side with a number of prominent infamous persons, including the family of the Azerbaijan President. The Opposition has argued that Malta’s name continues to be tarnished internationally as a result, and that Prime Minister Muscat’s position is no longer tenable.

The questions:

Did he pay the fine? If yes when?

How much did he have to pay?

Can you provide documentation as proof of payment?