The wife of former minister Clayton Bartolo has paid back the excess payments she received but is insisting that she in innocent and is only doing so because she respects institutions

In a letter that Muscat sent to Tony Sultana, principal permanent secretary, Muscat said that her repayment should not be considered as an admission of any guilt.

The letter, seen by The Malta Independent, referred to correspondence received from Sultana in which she was asked to pay pack the difference in salary she received as a consultant to the Tourism Ministry and Gozo Ministry, a job which the Standards Commissioner, in a ruling, said she is not qualified for.

The difference - €16,407.72 - is the gap between the salary of a secretary and that of a consultant for the period of time Muscat served as consultant without having the necessary qualifications.

The letter was mentioned today in a Standards Committee meeting, during which it was decided that Minister Bartolo is to make an official apology while Minister Clint Camilleri is to be reprimanded for giving the job to Muscat. Bartolo resigned on Tuesday, as fresh allegations about a kickback received from Muscat for an MTA deal emerged. He was also kicked out of the Labour Party parliamentary group.

In her letter, Muscat insisted she was innocent, quoting the Standards Commissioner saying that what had been done "was according to the manual and regulations of the time".

She informed Sultana that her decision to return the money was taken because she respects the country's institutions and laws, and "is not an admission of guilt". She said she reserved the right to defend her interests as a private person.