Updated 5.30pm
Byron Camilleri and Robert Abela on Friday denied allegations against them in a major court application claiming a ticket infringement racket filed by lawyer Jason Azzopardi.
The home affairs minister said the claims were “baseless and unfounded”, while the prime minister said the claim that he knew about the irregularities and did not act on them was a heinous lie.
The two were reacting following the publication of new legal proceedings filed by Azzopardi, in which he alleged a complex racket involving LESA officials that saw tourists being unknowingly fined for traffic contraventions committed by local drivers.
The application called for an urgent magisterial inquiry to investigate the alleged racket, which Azzopardi claims saw millions of euros swindled from public coffers and into the pockets of top LESA officials and private car hire companies.
In the application, Azzopardi claims that Camilleri who is politically responsible for LESA, and Abela were aware of the racket but did nothing to stop it.
He also alleges that Camilleri’s niece was engaged as a summer worker at LESA but instead spent the summer at her uncle’s ministry in Valletta.
“This coordinated and desperate attack against me continued today with totally baseless and unfounded allegations,” Camilleri said on Friday in a terse Facebook post.
“These are aimed at tarnishing my reputation and attacking my integrity. Those who know me know how I've always acted and so I look forward to these allegations being investigated.”
In a statement, the prime minister meanwhile categorically denied the allegations.
"This is a lie and a most heinous fake declaration... and blatant abuse of the safeguards allowed by a judiciary document," the statement reads.
Abela added that whoever maliciously used the legal system - making false allegations and mud-slinging while benefitting from the secrecy of an inquiry - was a coward.
The statement reiterated that Abela had led governance reforms that strengthened the institutions in a bid to prevent irregularities.
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In a statement, spokespeople for home affairs and transport Darren Carabott and Mark Anthony Sammut said every entity within Camilleri's remit was linked to criminal rackets.
"These cannot all be coincidences. Byron Camilleri is either corrupt or incompetent. Whatever he is, his position is no longer tenable and he should resign.
"If he cannot take this decision himself, then Abela should remove him from a minister."