The Nationalist Party on Tuesday condemned the Malta Financial Services Authority's "misuse of public funds," referring to two cases of a "golden handshake" issued by the MFSA.

The financial services watchdog is currently under fire after an a former director of human resources was given a termination contract of more than €150,000 only to be employed by a government entity that used to be part of the MFSA. This week, a former justice minister warned the authority against giving out another golden handshake to the recently dismissed Chief Operating Officer.

Lawyer Joe Brincat, an MFSA board member, said he is holding CEO Joe Cuschieri responsible in the case that he moves forward with payment against the advice of the same board member. The board member is said to have described the payment as a "crime" and misuse of public funds.

"The Opposition condemns the way in which the MFSA is making use of public funds without any care, in a way that goes counter to the principle of good governance.

"Accountability incurs that political responsibility is shouldered for this abuse. This is why the Opposition is going to ask that these cases are discussed and investigated urgently by the Public Accounts Committee."