Minister denies PN MP's claims of fight between PBS employees

Justice and culture minister Owen Bonnici has denied claims by Opposition MP Clyde Puli that PBS employees had come to blows last week.

Puli earlier today claimed that tension is high at the national broadcaster, so much so that a fight had broken out last week and that PBS’ head of news Reno Bugeja had to step in to break it up.

“I checked out those allegations and they turned out to be false, there was no fight between PBS employees” Bonnici told Parliament in a brief ministerial statement.

In a later speech, Puli reiterated that tension was high at PBS because employees "don't have equal access" to salaries and overtime. 

"Perhaps the employees I was speaking about weren't fighting...perhaps they were hugging," he quipped.

In a speech earlier today, Puli hit out at PBS for employing 25 former One employees or Labour Party sympathisers, which he claimed was an attempt by the government to gain full control of the national broadcaster and its newsroom.