The Prime Minister remains non-committal over whether he intends to axe parliamentary secretary Michael Falzon amid mounting pressure caused by the resignation of Opposition MP Joe Cassar over a financial scandal involving the Gaffarena family.

In an interview with The Sunday Times of Malta, Joseph Muscat said he had a “clear” idea on the course of action he had to take but would wait for the conclusions of a probe by the National Audit Office before making his position known.

Dr Falzon has been under fire since May, when this newspaper had revealed a controversial €1.65 million expropriation agreement between the Lands Department, which falls under his responsibility, and businessman Mark Gaffarena.

Dr Cassar resigned from the Opposition front bench, and then as an MP last week, after it was revealed that the Gaffarenas had footed the bill for works carried out at his home while he was a minister as well as giving him a second-hand car for his daughter.

In the interview, the Prime Minister reveals that he had twice met with Joe Gaffarena before the last election, but insists that the businessman did not make any demands.

Touching on the forthcoming Valletta Migration Summit, Dr Muscat said it would be a historic event, in which he would lobby for a global relocation mechanism, as a long-term solution to the migration crisis.

As for the dwindling number of arrivals to Malta, Dr Muscat denied suggestions made by his predecessor, Lawrence Gonzi, that this was the result of some form of agreement with Italy, insisting this was only due to better collaboration with the neighbouring country.