The Labour Party "is desperate after the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life exposed the fraud committed by two Government Ministers when they granted a phantom job to the wife of one of them," the Nationalist Party said.

"Now, Jonathan Attard and Andy Ellul, the two Labour MPs on the Parliamentary Standards Committee who adopted the Commissioner's report, want to censor the Partit Nazzjonalista and the media, attempting to stop them from speaking about this serious case of fraud."

 "Whenever the Labour Party finds itself cornered, it tries to use any means to silence those who expose or criticize it. Now, they are attempting to use the Speaker of Parliament to silence the Nationalist Party through a Breach of Privilege. This is yet another proof of how much the Labour Party fears freedom of expression and the urgent need to root out corruption completely." 

"Such behaviour is unacceptable in a European democratic society."

The PN said it will not allow any Prime Minister, Minister, or Parliamentary Secretary to silence it or its leadership.

 The PN said that it will continue to speak out about "the fraud committed by Clayton Bartolo and Clint Camilleri, with the blessing of Prime Minister Robert Abela, to ensure justice for the Maltese and Gozitan citizens. Theft from the public is nothing but fraud. And the facts are that the Parliamentary Standards Committee found both Ministers guilty when it adopted the report."

"Under a Labour Government: fraud only, fraud often."

The breach of privilege mentioned by the PN was that submitted this morning by parliamentary secretary Andy Ellul, on his behalf and that of Justice Minister Jonathan Attard, who lamented about a Nationalist Party statement issued after the Standards Committee meeting which endorsed a Standards Commissioner report finding Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo and Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri guilty of breaching ethics after Bartolo's wife was given a job as a consultant without having the necessary qualifications.

The Labour exponents objected to the use of the word "fraud" in their statement, which they said was not included in the Standards Commissioner's report.