A former Maltese Prime Minister is set to testify during the next Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the controversial Electrogas tender next Tuesday.

Opposition MPs had requested Joseph Muscat’s presence during the PAC meeting on Tuesday which featured the testimony of former Ministry for Tourism Permanent Secretary Ronald Mizzi.

Interestingly, the call to summon Muscat was not met with opposition from government MPs who sit on the committee, MaltaToday reported.

During the PAC session, Ronald Mizzi, a civil servant who previously held the position of permanent secretary in ministries overseen by Konrad Mizzi, namely the energy and later the tourism ministry, presented his testimony.

Mizzi disclosed that during his tenure in both ministries, he initially focused on state aid concerns surrounding the Delimara gas plant tender. Subsequently, in the tourism ministry after 2017, his role shifted towards assisting in the financial aspects of the project’s closure.

When questioned, Mizzi denied having any contact with Brian Tonna, the former partner at Nexia BT, or any other member of the Delimara gas plant evaluation committee.

Regarding his actions as the permanent secretary of the tourism ministry, Mizzi defended himself for writing a response to The Guardian in 2018 concerning an article about the Electrogas deal.

He justified his response by stating that he believed he had the expertise to address the matter, despite no longer holding the energy-related position. According to Mizzi, it was essential to ensure that the government’s work was not misrepresented.

A few weeks back, murder suspect Yorgen Fenech was called in to testify during a PAC meeting; however, the session was suspended rather quickly after Fenech’s lawyers argued that criminal proceedings against him be concluded before he testify.