Speaker Anglu Farrugia found no evidence that Prime Minister Robert Abela had indicated that Shadow Minister for Health Adrian Delia had leaked a Nationalist Party pre-budget document to the government. 

In a ruling on Monday, Farrugia said he accepted Delia’s request to investigate allegations in his regard by the Prime Minister. Though he stressed that Delia should have brought up the issue immediately during the budget reaction speech itself, the investigation nonetheless proceeded.

Delia had requested Farrugia to investigate allegations made by the Abela during the budget reaction speech in his regard, that it was he who leaked the Nationalist Party’s pre-budget document, and calling a breach of parliamentary privilege.

Following analysis of the transcript of the Prime Minister’s speech, specifically looking for the terms “Adrian Delia” and “pre-budget document”, Farrugia concluded that no apparent connection could be found. 

Reacting to the ruling, the Labour Party said that when it comes to “fake news and inventions, nobody can beat the Nationalist Party.”

“One waits to see whether, after the Speaker’s decision, Bernard Grech will attack the Speaker as he does every time that an institution does play from his hymn book,” the party said.