A pharmaceuticals supplier has distanced himself from a Halloween initiative by Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar after she handed goody bags with sweets and toothpaste to children in her district. 

The supplier, who asked not to be named, spoke to Times of Malta after an e-mail he sent to dentists was circulated online. 

In it, the supplier said that "in no way did I promote the consumption of sweets and surely did not sponsor their purchase or this campaign". 

He describes in the e-mail that "as often happens" he was "contacted by a government department and asked for the said samples to be distributed among school children". 

Contacted by Cutajar's team

The supplier clarified with Times of Malta that he was in fact not contacted by a government department but by Cutajar's team. A foreign colleague uninformed about local politics mistakenly assumed Cutajar's team was calling on behalf of the government, he said. 

"Please accept my sincere apologies for this incident," the supplier wrote in the e-mail. 

Times of Malta has contacted Cutajar for a reaction. 

Independent election candidate Arnold Cassola also demanded an explanation, saying the dentistry professionals are "infuriated at the way a number of toothpaste samples ended up among the Halloween treats distributed by Cutajar to primary school children".

On Monday, Children's Commissioner Pauline Miceli said she did not feel comfortable with politicians using children as part of their political campaigning.

The stunt was first flagged by Cassola, who wrote to Miceli to ask whether Cutajar handing out sweets to primary school children is acceptable. 

While saying she was aware of such antics, Miceli added: "I don't feel comfortable with them".

"That is why a few years ago we held an exercise with all stakeholders and anyone interested in drawing up guidelines with the Standards Authority on the 'use' of children in political propaganda and the media," she said.

Cutajar was previously cleared by Standards Commissioner George Hyzler for a similar incident, when she distributed oranges to the residents of a care home.

He found that the accusation of treating, which is where a politician gives out freebies with the intention of influencing people's electoral choices, did not apply because it only applies once a general election is called.