It is unacceptable for EU funds to go towards compensating Electrogas shareholders on a contract that should have long been scrapped for being "tainted in corruption and blood", the PN said o Thursday in a strongly-worded statement. 

Reacting to the controversy over whether the pipeline should qualify for EU funding, the PN said Labour should not expect the EU to finance a man accused of murdering a journalist who exposed corruption in the Electrogas deal. 

Electrogas shareholder Yorgen Fenech has been indicted for alleged complicity in journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder. 

"Therefore, the government should scrap the contract and make sure it does not jeopardise EU funds again", the party said. 

It said the PN has already supported the concept of a hydrogen-ready gas pipeline that would help Malta diversify its energy supply, a process it said began with the interconnector launched by the PN government. 

It added that Prime Minister Robert Abela must start choosing the interests of Malta over Fenech and his friends. 

A PN government will do everything in its power to introduce clean energy to Malta, not only through the increased use of renewables but by severing ties with the "corrupt Electrogas deal", the PN said in its statement.

The party will ensure that every cent invested in Malta’s energy sector goes to providing cleaner and cheaper energy to households, not to reward the shareholders of corrupt deals, it claimed.

 "We also renew our commitment to refund all consumers who continue being cheated in their electricity bills by the billing practice introduced by this government."