Updated 1pm

The PN is organising a protest on Monday in the wake of a scandal involving ministers Clint Camilleri and Clayton Bartolo, and his wife Amanda Muscat.

In a Facebook post, PN leader Bernard Grech announced the protest, encouraging people not to let the government "pig out".

The ministers for Gozo and tourism have been under pressure to resign since a standards commission investigation found that Bartolo's partner was given lucrative consultancy contracts for both ministries, despite being underqualified for the job and with no evidence that she carried out the work.

Muscat, who previously served as Bartolo’s secretary, was given a €62,000-a-year job as a policy consultant in Bartolo’s ministry and later transferred to Camilleri’s ministry, getting a pay bump to €68,000.

However, the standards commissioner only found evidence of her doing secretarial work and said Muscat was unqualified to serve as a consultant.

Bartolo has since made a conditional apology, while a defiant Camilleri insisted he did nothing wrong.

Robert Abela has said Bartolo's apology is "sufficient" but also sought to distance himself from the scandal by saying he was the one who decided to terminate Muscat’s job.

The Opposition has asked for the ministers' resignation, while employers and business lobbyists have expressed alarm at Abela’s willingness to allow two of his ministers to get away with having abused their power.

The PN, which on Wednesday said Camilleri was "doubly guilty" in the scandal, will be piling up pressure on Abela on Monday at 6pm outside parliament.

The party is urging the public to join in protest against corruption that is costing the taxpayer money.

"We are paying from our pockets for their corruption. And the weak prime minister is seeking every excuse to refrain from doing anything.

"You had to do good for their mistakes and they continue pigging out. Don't let them [pig out]," the party is urging.

On Thursday afternoon, Bernard Grech urged NET FM listeners to turn up for the protest.

“It’s not enough that you’re angry, it’s not enough that you post, like, and share content on Facebook, it's not enough to complain with your friends,” the PN leader said.  

“You need to attend the protest, on behalf of the country,” he said.  

Grech said the Maltese people were robbed when Muscat was given the €68,000 contract for work she never did.   

“You are being robbed, and your children are being robbed through corruption,” he said, adding that Malta’s youth was also “being robbed of the value of meritocracy”. 

“A student who earns a Master's degree and is now working earns €27,000 a year, while Muscat was given a €70,000 contract for nothing,” he said.  

Grech reiterated his call for the resignation of Bartolo and Camilleri.   

“Bartolo’s so-called apology is definitely not enough,” Grech said adding that people on the street suffered consequences when arriving late for work or parking illegally.  

“Do you think a warden will accept an apology and not hand out a ticket if you park in the wrong spot,” he asked.