The Prime Minister this morning continued to refuse to name the company that is auditing No Portfolio Minister Konrad Mizzi, saying that it is not the time to do so.

Questioned by the media earlier today, the Prime Minister would not be pressed into naming the firm although it was Minister Mizzi himself who said, in a court hearing on Thursday, that the question on who is auditing him should be put to the PM.

All the PM would say is something he has been saying all along: that it “is an internationally reputed firm, one of the top firms in this area”.

Asked whether it was government or the audit firm who want to keep the name secret, he said: “No, it is a fact that while it is a work in progress and while all the studies are being completed, I think it’s best that everything is announced at once”.

The Prime Minister was also asked when he believes the audit would be complete, given that it is a “€92 company”, to which he said that it is irrelevant whether a company is small or big. “If the audit company will certify that there are no funds in the company, it would need to research around the world, in as many banks as possible, as at the end of the day there will be a signature saying that what Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri said, that there was no money, is true”.

Yesterday, Minister Mizzi also refused to name the company that is carrying out an audit into his Panamanian company and New Zealand trust, insisting that questions should be put to the Prime Minister. He was testifying in a libel case he has instituted against PN Deputy Leader Beppe Fenech Adami. Minister Mizzi also said that he did not wish to name the company because he did not want to put it under any undue pressure.

The Malta Independent asked the Prime Minister whether he is comfortable with Minister Mizzi saying in open court to ask this question to the Prime Minister. In response, Dr Muscat said: “I wasn’t there. I don’t know what he said, I haven’t seen the transcripts yet”.