Updated - See PN reaction below - The investigation into fuel consumption by the Opposition leader’s official car was initiated well before Simon Busuttil’s motion to contest a Speaker’s ruling and the publication of the PN’s good governance report, Speaker Anglu Farrugia said in a statement this morning.

His statement followed claims by Dr Busuttil yesterday that he found the calling of the magisterial inquiry ‘very strange’ coming a day after he presented a document on good governance and a week after he contested the ruling.

The ruling followed an incident in Parliament between Labour MP Joe Debono Grech and Independent MP Marlene Farrugia .

The Speaker said ordered the investigation after Parliament's accounts section reported possible discrepancies between fuel consumption and the registered mileage.

Dr Farrugia said Dr Busuttil was informed as soon as the investigation started and he offered his full cooperation for the necessary information to be gathered.

He also said that it was the police and not himself, who decided to hold a magisterial inquiry.

PN REACTION

One would have expected that in such an issue involving a serious criminal accusation, the Speaker would have informed the Leader of the Opposition and not act behind the Opposition’s back, the PN said.- PN

In a reaction, the Nationalist Party said Dr Busuttil had fully cooperated with every request for information made by the Office of the Speaker over the past two weeks, even though the Speaker’s Office had all the necessary information on the car’s consumption.

It was difficult to understand how the Office of the Speaker waited for two and a half years to check how much fuel was being used, when the information was available from the outset.

The PN said Dr Busuttil was never informed by the Speaker that the matter had been reported to the police, or that it was subject to a magisterial inquiry.

One would have expected that in such an issue involving a serious criminal accusation, the Speaker would have informed the Leader of the Opposition and not act behind the Opposition’s back, the PN said.

It appeared, however, that the Speaker had created a sensational event, coincidentally after the Opposition contested his ruling, and coincidentally after the Leader of the Opposition presented a document on good governance.