Prime Minister Joseph Muscat today said he had information from within the Nationalist Party confirming that the Egrant allegations were "coordinated" by the PN.

He was replying to questions, by The Malta Independent, on claims he made last night, while addressing a PL activity in Qawra. Yesterday he told supporters that Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil knew beforehand the "lie" that blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia would say on the Egrant case. Mrs Caruana Galizia has claimed that Egrant Inc, the third Panama company, belongs to his wife Michelle. The Muscats deny the claim, and have sued the journalist for libel.

"This lie was spread in a planned manner, with the PN's coordination and with the Leader of the Opposition knowing what was happening and when things were going to take place," Muscat said in Qawra, challenging Busuttil to commit himself to resign if the allegations are approved false.

Asked, this afternoon, how he had come to this conclusion, and whether he had any documents to back up his claims, Dr Muscat said: “Yes, I have information from the Nationalist Party that this is true, and I also know the name of the person who was coordinating.” 

This newspaper also sought the PM’s comments on the hunting issue, having today published a story which says that Muscat closed the hunting seasons when a number of illegalities took place but failed to do the same in the last two seasons, when a larger number of protected birds were shot down.

He insisted that the regulations changed after his decision to suspend the hunting season in that the PM’s discretion has now passed on to the Ornis committee, which can advise him to close the season. “We felt that the discretion should not rest with one person.”

 

Dr Muscat confirmed, however, that he still had the power, in extremis, to order the suspension of the hunting season.