The man behind the original police complaint against Sliema deputy mayor and PN defector Cyrus Engerer wants the police to drop the charges.
Marvic Camilleri, who was a member of MŻPN, like Mr Engerer, and was a former employee of the Nationalist Party, filed a police report almost two years ago after the two fell out.
The police issued a series of charges against Mr Engerer yesterday, accusing him of copying data from a computer without permission, distributing pornographic or obscene material and vilifying Mr Camilleri.
Mr Camilleri's lawyers Andy Ellul and Vince Micallef contacted The Times this morning to say that their client has "no interest against Mr Engerer" and wants to renounce the charges which the police have filed.
It is understood that some charges can be dropped while others may have to be pursued by the police anyway.
The lawyers also said they would investigate how the charges were leaked to the press the same morning that they were filed.
The Times is informed that Mr Camilleri and Mr Engerer are now friends.
The complaints date back to December 2009 and January 2010. Mr Engerer defected from the Nationalist Party on July 15th to join the Labour Party after Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi voted against divorce in parliament. Mr Engerer is a pro-divorce campaigner and gay activist.
PN, AD WANTS EXPLANATION FROM POLICE COMMISSIONER
Meanwhile, the Nationalist Party said it is seeking an immediate explanation from the Commissioner of Police on the sequence of events leading to its decisiont to file charges against Mr Engerer.
It noted that the allegations against Mr Engerer were made some 18 months ago but the police decided on their actions yesterday, and all this became known through the media.
The PN said it also wished to know the sequence of events with regard to Chris Engerer, Cyrus's father.
In both cases, the party noted, the charges had been issued a few days after Cyrus Engerer resigned from the PN.
The charges against Cyrus Engerer, revealed in The Times today, led to a storm of comments against the PN, with commenters linking the charges to Mr Engerer's switch to the Labour Party.
AD also called on teh police to explain the timing of their actions.
Chairman Michael Briguglio said;
“Without entering into the merits of Engerer’s case and without speculating on the political analysis of his switch from one party to another, AD is concerned about the timing of the criminal procedures...
“This is not the first time that political adversaries of a party in power have been treated in this way. The coincidences involved, from the timing of the procedures to the timing of news reporting, make things sound like a Mintoffian hangover reminiscent of a George Orwell or Franz Kafka novel," he said.
POLICE TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE
The Police announced shortly after the PN statement that they would hold a press conference about the matter this afternoon.
See Andrew Borg Cardona's blog at
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110726/blogs/childish-fingers.377446