Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo on Sunday denied that any public funds were used to pay for his wedding.

Earlier, ADPD-The Green Party had called on the Auditor General to investigate what the party claimed was misuse of public funds. There has been a substantial expenditure from public funds on Manoel Island for the upcoming Film Festival, which falls under the minister’s remit, ADPD said its letter. Before the festival was held, ADPD said that the venue was used by Bartolo and his wife Amanda Muscat for his wedding party.

In a post on Facebook, the minister said the wedding ceremony was held at Couvre Port, and not at the fort, as “someone alleged”. This is a public place and all necessary permits were obtained for the wedding ceremony to be held there.

He said that for the civil ceremony, the sound, flowers, carpet, 150 seats and one table were paid for by “myself and my wife, as I will show the Auditor General when he requests the information. There was no use of anything related to the Mediterrane Film Festival,” the minister claimed.

He said he and his wife had also paid for the boats and schooner used during the ceremony, and he will be providing all necessary documentation. “Some people think that being a minister means you’re a criminal,” he said.