Newly launched centrist party Momentum has reported Robert Abela and his cabinet to the Standards Commissioner for failing to table their asset declarations in parliament. 

This comes after the Speaker ruled that ministers and parliamentary secretaries are not obliged to table their asset declarations in parliament, even if they have done so in the past. 

The ruling was prompted by PN MP Karol Aquilina, who had noted that the ministerial declarations for 2023 had yet to be filed in parliament, despite the time elapsed since then, 

The prime minister had earlier said that these had been submitted as required by the manual and were made available to the public. 

In a letter to the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life, Momentum chair Arnold Cassola requested the commissioner investigate the prime minister as well as every minister and parliamentary secretary that is a part of the cabinet for breaching parliamentary ethics. Cassola said that they have failed to table their asset declaration for 2023 had not been tabled as is set out in the ministerial code of ethics. 

"This shortcoming sheds an arrogant contempt towards transparency and towards citizens," Cassola said.