PANAMA PAPERS: Finance Minister signals publicly that he thinks the Prime Minister should sack Mizzi and Schembri

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna spoke clearly in parliament today for the first time since the revelation that his ministerial colleague and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff hold companies in Panama and trusts in New Zealand, with Keith Schembri also owning a company in the British Virgin Islands.

Using the time-honoured coded language of politics for “I think he should bloody well kick them out”, Edward Scicluna said that the Prime Minister “has to take strong and tough decisions in the wake of revelations in the Panama Papers”.

He also said that he would “neither defend nor accuse” anyone involved. The Finance Minister informed parliament that the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit and the Commissioner for Inland Revenue are investigating the matter, which he described as “eminently political and difficult, but important”.

“Decisions on the matter rest ultimate with the party leader, and I hope that the Labour Party will explain the situation (to him) without delay,” he said.

“For the sake of our country, this issue has to be resolved immediately.”