Independent candidate Arnold Cassola has requested the intervention of the Commissioner for Standards following allegations made about ministers on a French television channel.

In his letter to George Hyzler, Cassola says that during the documentary, Enquete Exclusive, on M6, businessman Luke Chetcuti was heard saying: "Last week I was having dinner with Chris, the minister for the economy. And he texted the tourism minister saying: we must help the Chetcuti family. They have always helped us. The other minister replied saying the beach was quite small but he would see what he would do, if it could be enlarged.”

Cassola said that Chetcuti was referring to St George’s Bay in St Julian’s, 30 per cent of which is occupied by the Intercontinental Hotel.

Cassola said Chetcuti implied what many Maltese have for long been suspecting – that a minister intervenes with another minister to help someone because “they have helped us”.  

Cassola said that a businessman tried to influence a minister, who accepted to be influenced and implicated a second minister, who did not refuse.

The independent MP requested the Commissioner for Standards to investigate.