Chris Said to be reinstated today

Nationalist MP Chris Said is due to be reinstated as parliamentary secretary today, six weeks after resigning over perjury charges of which he has since been cleared.

He will be sworn in during a ceremony at the President’s Palace and will be given his former responsibilities for public dialogue, local government and consumer affairs.

Dr Said stepped down on September 23 after an appeals court ordered the police to institute court proceedings against him for alleged perjury in a child custody case, in which Dr Said was defence counsel for one of the parties.

He had been summoned to testify and, subsequently, the child’s father accused Dr Said of lying under oath.

A magistrate, the Attorney General and the police had found no case of perjury but when the matter went before the court of appeal, a judge ordered the police to proceed against Dr Said.

Dr Said had protested his innocence but stressed he was forced to resign given the gravity of the charge and to be able to defend himself.

A Gozo court last week acquitted him of all charges and the time limit for the filing of an appeal expired on Wednesday afternoon.

In accepting his resignation, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had expressed the wish to be in a position to reappoint him once the court proceedings were over.

Dr Said could not be contacted for comment yesterday.