[WATCH] Government will not protect Konrad Mizzi, Prime Minister says

Independent MP Konrad Mizzi should testify before parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Monday, insisting government will not protect him.

“Government members on the PAC should not, and will not protect Konrad Mizzi, and should carry out their work neutrally,” he said.

Abela insisted that Mizzi should appear before the PAC and answer all the questions put to him.

Earlier on Monday, the Nationalist Party accused the Labour Party and the Prime Minister of being in cahoots with Mizzi. “What does he know about Robert Abela for the Labour Party to continue defending him?” Beppe Fenech Adami said during a press conference.

Fielding questions from the press after inaugurating a multi-million investment at a Hal Far manufacturing company, Abela said he did not wait for the PAC to take “the decisions that needed to be taken” on Mizzi.

“I always took clear decisions when it came to Konrad Mizzi,” he said with reference to Mizzi's expulsion from the Labour Party last year.

On Monday morning, in a Facebook post , Mizzi said he informed the PAC that both himself and his lawyer will be available to attend from 3 November onwards.

The PAC is due to meet again tomorrow at 2pm to continue scrutinising the National Audit Office report on the Electrogas power station deal for which Mizzi was politically responsible when minister.

Mizzi had originally refused to appear before the PAC before recanting on his decision. However, in another no-show last week, Mizzi told the committee that he could not attend because his lawyer was unavailable at the given day.