The standards commissioner has ruled he cannot investigate the Speaker for voting against the adoption of a report that found 18 ministers in breach of ethical standards when they spent €16,700 on taxpayer-funded adverts praising themselves in a newspaper supplement.

The 32-page publication had been published in the Labour Party’s newspaper Kullħadd, and prime minister Robert Abela had featured prominently on the front page of the supplement. 

The investigation had been requested by NGO Repubblika. 

The former Commissioner for Standards in Public Life George Hyzler had said the supplement, marking Abela's second year as prime minister, constituted misuse of public funds. 

Hyzler's report recommended the return of the €16,700 spent on the advertising campaign.

However, when the Committee for Standards in Public Life last month voted on whether to adopt the report, two government members voted against and two opposition members voted in favour.

This meant that decision was up to the Speaker, who held the casting vote.

He voted against the adoption of the report saying that the current guidelines, which the commissioner referred to in his report, were not part of the law.

Independent candidate Arnold Cassola had consequently asked Commissioner Joseph Azzopardi to investigate the behaviour of Farrugia as a principal office holder of parliament. 

Cassola claimed Farrugia failed to safeguard people's interests, and instead protected the 18 MPs who breached ethical standards.

With his actions, the Speaker also ridiculed the commissioner's work, Cassola added.

In his reply, Azzopardi stood by his predecessor's decision.

However, he said his office could not look into Cassola's request, citing conflict of interests.

Reacting, Cassola said that "despite being a parliamentarian, the Speaker will never be subject to the rules drawn up for parliamentarians, and is free to contradict any decision taken by the Commissioner for Standards".