Gozitan MP hits out at former Labour activist

Labour MP Anton Refalo insisted once again yesterday that he never threatened former MLP activist Joe Camilleri, as Mr Camilleri claimed at the PN general council meeting in Gozo on Sunday.

Dr Refalo said in an adjournment speech in Parliament that Mr Camilleri was far from the sacrificial lamb he was making himself out to be.

Indeed, at the time when he (Dr Refalo) was Parliamentary Secretary for Gozo, Mr Camilleri had pressed the MLP section committee in Gozo to give him a posting at the CSSD section of the Gozo hospital to the detriment of a serving Nationalist nurse.

Dr Refalo said he had not upheld this request, but Mr Camilleri was still given a posting to work alongside this person and he enjoyed this job to this day.

Since then, Dr Refalo claimed, Mr Camilleri had spied and been vindictive on his colleagues.

Dr Refalo said that last Saturday he was moved to phone Mr Camilleri after having been told by other Nationalists of allegations made by Mr Camilleri against him, such as that he was speculating in property with a prominent Gozitan Nationalist and secured planning favours. Allegations were also made over his Qala property. Dr Refalo said he had called from his mobile phone and identified himself because he had nothing to hide.

In his call he had reminded Mr Camilleri of his past. He told him he had done him no wrong and asked him why, therefore, he was making such allegations against him.

It was not true, Dr Refalo said, that he told Mr Camilleri to "pray to God that the MLP is not elected to government". What he did tell him was to ask himself whether he wanted a Labour government to resort to the sort of vindictiveness which he was exercising on his colleagues at the hospital.

Dr Refalo said it was not true that he speculated in property with anyone and, with regard to his Qala property, he had paid what was demanded of him and demolishing what had to be demolished.

The Labour MP said his record as parliamentary secretary showed that he was not vindictive against Nationalists - having retained the staff of his predecessor, minister Anton Tabone.

But Mr Camilleri was a person who knew the Biblical character of Judas very well. During the two years of MLP government between 1996 and 1998, he would often turn up at the ministry wanting to take revenge on Nationalists. Now he was being vindictive against Labourites.

Dr Refalo challenged Mr Camilleri to confirm his allegations under oath. He said everyone made mistakes and he would be the first to apologise had an apology been merited, but in this case he had done nothing wrong. He would let the people decide on who was telling the truth and he would take legal action for defamation.

Dr Refalo also criticised a report in The Times yesterday, saying it was not completely accurate.