Question raised in parliament after former minister claims ‘disappearing email’

Nationalist MP George Pullicino was guided by parliamentary secretary for health Chris Fearne to submit a written question after he asked whether an investigation had been launched into a former minister’s claims of a disappearing email.

Former health minister Godfrey Farrugia has claimed that an email he sent to the media to announce his resignation had “mysteriously disappeared”. In an interview with the Malta Independent, Farrugia said he sent the email through his gov.mt account and was “perplexed” at how the intended recipients did not receive the email.

He insisted he was sure he sent it from his tablet, outside Auberge de Castille, shortly after leaving his resignation letter with an OPM messenger.

This evening in parliament, as Fearne was replying to a question tabled by MP Claudio Grech on a tender related to in-vitro fertilization, Pullicino raised a supplementary question as to whether the government will be investigating Farrugia’s claims.

“Will the government be investigating the claims made by the former health minister?” Pullicino asked Fearne.

Since the question raised was not related to the original question, Speaker Anglu Farrugia told Fearne that, if he chooses, the question should not be answered.

Following the Speaker’s advice, the junior minister said the question was not related to IVF. “A written question should be made,” Fearne added.