The prime minister's continued refusal to publish the ministerial declaration of assets showed that he and his associates believed they were not accountable to anyone, the Nationalist Party said on Tuesday.

"Despite being rebuked by the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life, Abela remains adamant in hiding his own assets as well as those of his colleagues. Abela is using every possible means to block requests for information regarding his asset declarations and those of his ministers and parliamentary secretaries, which are legally required and have been sought by multiple newsrooms," the party said.

It noted that Times of Malta had reported that the prime minister blocked a Freedom of Information (FOI) request it had submitted.

"The Nationalist Party condemns this secrecy, which only further confirms what former minister Evarist Bartolo had previously stated about some of his colleagues that there is "a law for the gods and another for the animals. Robert Abela and his government have abandoned all respect for transparency, accountability, and good governance, showing utter disregard for the Maltese people. The fact that the request has been repeatedly denied only raises further serious doubts about what Abela and his Ministers have to hide," the PN said.

"This also reinforces the notion that the government is willing to act against democratic principles and withhold information from the public to protect itself while failing entirely to fulfil its duty to Parliament by addressing the problems facing the people, many of which it created in the first place."

It explained that asset declarations existed to allow citizens to hold ministers and parliamentary secretaries accountable for their actions. This was a basic standard in any modern democracy and in any country that claimed to fight corruption, conflicts of interest, and abuse of power.

"Today, more than ever, it is evident that Robert Abela and his government have no regard for the people or their rights. Their only concern is their own comfort. The more Abela and his associates act with arrogance and secrecy, the more they lose credibility with the public," the PN said.