Malta’s Commissioner for Standards in Public Life has shot down the government whip’s request to investigate claims into whether an MP breached professional secrecy when making statements on the parliamentary floor.

PN MP Jason Azzopardi had claimed in Parliament that state prosecutor turned criminal lawyer Charles Mercieca went behind the backs of his superiors at the Attorney General’s office to allow a government official found guilty of money laundering and fraud to avoid prison time. Mercieca has downplayed Azzopardi’s allegations.

Following that, Glenn Bedingfield wanted an investigation into whether Azzopardi got his information from the Attorney General’s office, insisting this constituted a breach of secrecy.

Less than eight hours later, Commissioner George Hyzler rejected the request, explaining that it was the Speaker’s responsibility to censure any improper conduct by an MP.

“It is my policy that, as a rule, I should not consider complaints that would involve the scrutiny of the exercise of such discretion. If I were to act otherwise, I would in effect be overruling or second-guessing the decision of Mr Speaker.”

He said that while the breach of secrecy was a criminal offence, and suspected their could be issues in the case, he could not institute proceedings if it was not a breach of ethical conduct.

Mercieca, a recent graduate and son of former Labour MP Franco Mercieca, generated controversy after resigning from his position in the Office of the Attorney General on 5th May, only to appear in court the next morning on behalf of Yorgen Fenech. Fenech is the Tumas Group businessman charged with conspiring to assassinate journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.