PN stands by broadcast of Whip’s comment about Falzon’s overseas trip

The Nationalist Party has accused the government of using the Department of Information to stifle the party-owned Net TV after it broadcast a comment from government whip Godfrey Farrugia.

On Thursday, NET News claimed that planning parliamentary secretary Michael Falzon had lied to Farrugia about having gone abroad with Mark Gaffarena, the businessman at the centre of the Old Mint Street expropriation controversy.

A NET journalist approached Farrugia outside Parliament to ask him whether Falzon had ever gone on abroad with Gaffarena. Farrugia responded that Falzon had told him that he had never gone abroad with Gaffarena.

NET then aired comments by Falzon admitting to have gone on a hunting holiday with Gaffarena some ten years ago.

Following the report, the DOI issued a press release criticising the NET report as being based on deception, by having editing vital parts of the video out, and accusing the PN of creating a ‘non-issue’.

The DOI said that Farrugia had meant that Falzon had told him that he had never holidayed with Gaffarena to Argentina, as Opposition leader Simon Busuttil had alleged in Parliament.

Addressing a press conference, Opposition MP Clyde Puli aired the unedited clip of the journalist’s question to Farrugia.

“The journalist had never mentioned any country,” Puli pointed out. “Indeed, the night before on the TV programme Reporter, Falzon had already admitted that he had holidayed with Gaffarena but not to Argentina. Between the programme and the question, Falzon admitted to having holidayed with Gaffarena to England.

“If anyone has stooped to a low level, it is the Prime Minister. If he doesn’t take action against Falzon for the Gaffarena scandal, it would be a confirmation that he himself is involved in the scandal.”