Updated 4.50pm with PL statement
The Nationalist Party has vowed to go to war should the prime minister try to "manipulate" the 17 Black inquiry, as he did with the Vitals inquiry, the party warned on Saturday.
In a statement, shadow justice minister Karol Aquilina reiterated the PN's calls for the magisterial inquiry into the company 17 Black and the Panama Papers to be published "without further delay" in the interest of transparency.
On Friday, Times of Malta revealed that former OPM chief of staff Keith Schmebri and former minister Konrad Mizzi are among five people set to be prosecuted after a magisterial inquiry by Magistrate Charmaine Galea was concluded and handed over to the Attorney General last week.
Although the nature of the charges is not yet known, much of the inquiry centred around plans for 17 Black, which is owned by Yorgen Fenech, to pay out millions to Schembri and Mizzi through their offshore structures in Panama.
Fenech was leading the energy consortium Electrogas at the time, which had won a €450 million government contract to build and operate a new power station in Delimara.
It is understood that former Electrogas director Paul Apap Bologna and Mario Pullicino - a local agent for the floating storage tanker that fuels the power station - are also expected to be charged in connection with the inquiry.
The Opposition said on Saturday that it would not allow Robert Abela to turn another magisterial inquiry into a game of political football.
"The Partit Nazzjonalista expects that the magisterial inquiry will not end up in the hands of Robert Abela, allowing him to manipulate it for his own political interests, as he abusively and illegally did with the report of the inquiry into Vitals and Steward," the party said.
Should this occur, the Partit Nazzjonalista vowed it will "fight this blatant abuse through actions and procedures in the courts and the streets".
Abela had repeatedly cast doubt on the magisterial inquiry into the hospitals' deal slamming exaggerated delays and implying the release of the inquiry was deliberately timed to harm the Labour Party at the the at the time upcoming European Parliament elections.
The PN said it would be holding the AG responsible should it fail to publish the inquiry report and take action against the individuals that it concluded should be prosecuted.
PN said that despite the obstacles and incompetence of Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg, her office will carry out its duties in the most organised, professional, and serious manner to ensure that no one responsible for the corruption flees justice.
"Therefore, we expect all necessary human and financial resources to be dedicated so that, as quickly as possible, the Office of the Attorney General acts according to the conclusions of the Inquiry and brings before the courts all those individuals, whoever they may be, who are behind the company 17 Black and what was revealed by the Panama Papers."
'The PN have completely lost it' - PL
In a reaction to the statement, the Labour Party said the PN are "now issuing vile threats and making villainous attacks against people and the Labour government".
The PL lashed out at MP Karol Aquilina, describing him as "part of an extremist faction that leads Bernard Grech by the nose," and who is now threatening the prime minister.
"The prime minister will not be threatened by Aquilina or any of his desperate colleagues" but will instead ensure that institutions are "allowed to do their work freely".
The PL said Aquilina has put aside his differences with former PN MP Jason Azzopard are now united in their common political hatred towards the government.
"So desperate are they to seize power, that they have completely lost it," the PL said.