The prime minister and the minister of finance acted illegally when they appointed the new chairman of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit, Jesmond Gatt, without parliamentary approval, Opposition leader Bernard Grech said on Thursday.

In terms of the Public Administration Act, parliament should have been informed three weeks in advance about plans to appoint the new chairman so that the nomination could then be discussed by the Public Appointments Committee, Grech told a press conference.   

"What Robert Abela and Edward Scicluna have done by appointing the chairman of the FIAU behind parliament's back is illegal," Grech said. Their actions also reflected incompetence.  

He said Abela was continuing to show the same disrespect for the national institutions as shown by his predecessor Joseph Muscat.

It also showed that government statements about good governance was simply empty talk. This was especially serious on the day that the European Parliament had resolved that observance of the rule of law would be a condition for access to EU funding. 

Grech said the opposition would not be an accomplice in the appointment and the government should remedy the situation immediately. 

The press conference was also addressed by  Karol Aquilina, shadow minister on good governance and the public service.