Updated 12.15pm with minister's comments

Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela has asked the police to investigate two people who posted comments on Facebook suggesting that he skimmed money off a deal to purchase an MRI scanner for Gozo General Hospital.

In a criminal complaint filed through his lawyers, Abela flagged a comment posted by a Facebook user beneath a Lovin Malta article about the scanner.

The user asked ‘How much did you make in commissions Mr Minister???’. A second Facebook user replied to that with the comment ‘mmmmm countless’.

The Facebook comment that sparked the criminal complaint.

Abela said the two comments were defamatory and merited criminal investigation.

“It is intolerable for people to sully someone’s reputation and then hide,” the minister wrote on Facebook as he announced his decision to request police action.

Abela’s lawyers have asked the police to identify the people behind those two Facebook profiles and “prosecute them for defamation and misuse of telecommunications equipment.”

In Malta, defamation is a civil, not criminal matter, as criminal libel was struck off by the Labour government some years ago. However, there has been a push in recent months by some Labour figures to reintroduce criminal sanctions for libel and defamation.

When contacted by Times of Malta, the minister said he turned to the police because he wants to be clear of any suspicion.

"I'm after the truth, not compensation," he said. "I worked very very hard to build my reputation as a surgeon and as a public servant. Both come with great personal sacrifice. I’m only after truth and justice. Nothing more, nothing less."

The MRI scanner, which the government said cost €3 million to purchase, is a high-end model that will allow Gozo-based patients to undergo a range of MRI scans without crossing over to Malta. It will take over from a temporary, portable MRI machine that was installed in the Gozo hospital at the start of the year.