The Nationalist Party has criticised the Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia for his “incorrect and biased behaviour” during parliament on Monday towards PN MP Karol Aquilina and PN whip Robert Cutajar.

During parliament on Monday, Farrugia told Aquilina to leave the parliament chamber after Aquilina described a ruling Farrugia had given as ‘obscene’.

In a statement released by the PN, it accused Farrugia of being complicit with Prime Minister Robert Abela who is doing everything to prevent a public inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia.

The Speaker’s ruling denied the PN to file a proposed motion to make amendments to the amendment proposed by the government as it was dependent on the “hypothetical result” of a future vote on the setting up of a public inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia.

Farrugia said that such amendments can be proposed further down the line, once the original vote is taken. The vote is set to be taken on Wednesday.

The PN said that the Speaker’s ruling went against the PN’s right, which is clearly stated from the Erskine May Parliamentary Practice (25th edition, 2019, paragraph 20.43) and from the constant and regular practice of various other parliaments around the world.

After being complicit with the PL government for ten years, the PN said that now it expects Farrugia to start acting serious, impartial, correct and in a fair manner.

“The Speaker must do this to ensure the rights of all Members of Parliament including those of the Nationalist Party as elected representatives of the Maltese and Gozitan people.”