PBS chairman Joseph Mizzi has resigned, just 14 months after his appointment.

His resignation was announced on the PBS news this evening.

It followed pictures and footage of him revealed on Sunday which showed him lying on the floor in an apparent drunken state at a reception held in Düsseldorf as part of the Eurovision Song Contest events. The reception was held after the final night of the song contest and was also attended by Maltese who were not part of the official delegation.

In his resignation letter to Education Minister Dolores Cristina, Mr Mizzi said it was clear that he had been set up by somebody who wished to cause harm to PBS. Somebody, he said, had committed foul play on him, tricking him to do things over which he had no control.

He stopped short of saying that his drink was spiked.

Mr Mizzi said that footage of him at the reception had been taken by two cameras and a photographer. The footage was not shot on mobile phones and the voice of a young Maltese who was orchestrating the whole thing could be  be heard at one time. The footage was later edited. This, he said, was a set-up by persons who could be identified. 

However, he said, he was stepping down in the best interests of PBS but he would work to ensure that the truth came out. 

The resignation was accepted by the government. Education Minister Dolores Cristina thanked him for having carried out his duties with responsibility and said his resignation was a loss for PBS.