Labour MP Castaldi Paris replaced on PAC with Jonathan Attard

Labour MP Jonathan Attard has replaced Ian Castaldi Paris on parliament’s Public Accounts Committee. 

The replacement comes after a motion was forwarded in parliament by Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne as leader of the House.

No reason was given as to why the decision was made.

Around two weeks ago, the Labour MP admitted to having dreamed up a lofty claim he made to Yorgen Fenech of being a high-flying property investor in London, after MaltaToday approached him over chats he had with Fenech in September 2019, just two months before the latter’s arrest in connection with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

“It was pure bluff from my end. I have no property, neither in London, nor in any part of the world,” Castaldi Paris told this newspaper when asked to explain his claims to Fenech and whether his property acquisitions were now declared in his MP’s asset register. “It was stupid from my end.”

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On Wednesday, the Public Accounts Committee will continue discussing the Electrogas deal.

Independent MP Konrad Mizzi is due to appear before the committee.

On Monday, MP Rosianne Cutajar was replaced by Energy Minister Miriam Dalli in the Council of Europe’s parliamentary assembly.

Cutajar was one of the three Maltese MPs that formed part of the assembly. She was due to answer breach of conduct accusations before the council's rules committee next month.

She has since disputed reports she was forcibly removed, insisting it was her idea to be replaced.

Cutajar said she asked to be replaced after a complaint was lodged against her. "This does not mean that I will not defend my name from the allegations and doubts that are being dispelled by the friends of Jason Azzopardi and the Nationalist Party in Europe," she said.