Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia said on Wednesday he never met Melvin Theuma, the middleman in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder plot.
Nor had he ever received any recommendation to employ Mr Theuma, the minister said.
Dr Farrugia was reacting after Mr Theuma said in court that chief of staff Keith Schembri had given a government job before the last general election in the ministry 'opposite the old theatre'. He said he never actually reported for work but received a cheque every month.
He was referring to the Social Policy Ministry, which at the time was headed by Dr Farrugia.
An employment history document produced by JobsPlus and made public by Xarabank on Wednesday evening showed he was engaged as a driver/messenger with the government-owned Housing Maintenance and Embellishment Company which fell under the ministry's remit.
His payments were discontinued after the general election.