Civil society group Repubblika expressed concern at the government’s insistence that former prime minister Joseph Muscat should not be invited to answer to a parliament about an €80,000 contract to former minister Konrad Mizzi.

The Standards Committee on Tuesday endorsed the findings of an investigation by the Standards Commissioner into the case.

But it then ran into conflicting views about whether Muscat, who resigned as an MP last year,  could be summoned to explain with government MPs insisting he shouldn't. 

Mizzi was handed an €80,000 contract by the Malta Tourism Authority after resigning as minister in 2019 amid the fallout from the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation. 

Repubblika said Prime Minister Robert Abela was trying to sweep the incorrect behaviour of his predecessor under the carpet and was not allowing parliament to do its duty, "strengthening the culture of impunity as a result".

The government’s position that once one was no longer an MP, he was no longer responsible for his behaviour when he was, was “incorrect, absurd and dangerous”, it said.

Repubblika hoped Speaker Anġlu Farrugia would defend Maltese parliamentary democracy and fight the impunity the government wanted by ensuring that Muscat answered for his behaviour during his term in office.

Correction January 6, 2021: A previous version stated that the investigation findings were endorsed by parliament's Public Accounts Committee.