Opposition Leader Adrian Delia has called for the removal of Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi and OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri.
He said that if Prime Minister Joseph Muscat does not remove them, then the Opposition will not be silent and not stop there.
Delia said that Joseph Muscat has a choice, either to defend Malta or defend Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi and OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri.
A joint investigation by The Times of Malta and Reuters has found that local investigators were given an intelligence report naming Electrogas director and CEO of the Tumas Group Yorgen Fenech as the owner of 17 Black.
Tumas Group is one of the partners in the Electrogas power station. The power station had been pushed by Konrad Mizzi back when he was Energy Minister
17 Black was listed as the 'Main Client' and 'Possible Payer/Sender' of Tillgate and Hearnville, the offshore Panamian companies owned by OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi, leaked emails obtained by German paper Süddeutsche Zeitung, and published by the Daphne Project previously revealed.
Delia said that the media previously reported that the FIAU should investigate money laundering in the case of the Panama companies.
He said Joseph Muscat is not doing anything to defend Malta's reputation. He said one fact after another is being revealed and is damaging the island's reputation and is putting into peril Maltese jobs, the financial services and gaming sectors.
He mentioned the recent European Banking Authority report which scolded the Maltese FIAU.
Asked by this newsroom to clarify what action he will take should Muscat not remove the two, Delia said that they should resign at once of their own accord as happens in every single EU state. "If not the PM should take that decision and remove them. If he fails to do that then we will act accordingly," he said. Pressed by other sections of the media to highlight exactly what action he would take, he mentioned that the PN has taken other forms of action in other situations, mentioning a number of court cases on other issues.
"The PN will act accordingly in defending Malta's rights and the workplace for the Maltese people."
Delia said that government keeps being silent on scandalous issues, and prefers to defend the people close to him than the country
Asked for his comments about the whole picture, and how it paints the business community in relation to ties with government, he said that his interest is not the ones who are in business but the ones who shouldn't be, "and specifically members of government."
He said that the Opposition is there to promote good and decent business, and that they are also here to sanction the government when he falters, to point out where they are wrong, to push for action, responsibility, resignations and others if this is the case.
Asked if the Opposition will call for a vote of no confidence in Mizzi, he said that they will wait for the Prime Minister to act, and that "his lack of action will be a message in itself." He said that the PN will not be hesitant or fail in doing what is best for the country.