Updated - Adds Joe Grime's invitation for Bondi-JPO debate - Broadcaster Lou Bondi' said today that after having sought a right of reply for comments made about him last week in the Inkontri discussion programme on One TV, he was offered to make a 180-second declaration to be read on the programme.
Writing on his blog, he said he had been "slandered and lied about" throughout the entire programme.
"Not only had I not been invited to Inkontri to defend myself but (programme host) Joe Grima turned down 13 requests to call me during the programme to give me a chance to respond," he said.
He said that the reply he got to his request was that although he was not justified according to law, and without prejudice, he was being invited to send a declaration to be read on the programme. The declaration, he was told, could not exceed 180 seconds air time, in terms of the law.
"In other words, the Partit Laburista, the government in waiting, believes that I do not have the right to speak, not even when I am being slandered," Mr Bondi' said.
He said the matter would not stop here.
Contacted by timesofmalta.com, Mr Grima said it was the Broadcasting Authority which in the past had set a maximum time limit of three minutes as the right of reply.
"This is what the Authority allows," Mr Grima said, adding that Mr Bondi' did send a declaration and it was being considered.
Mr Grima said that Mr Bondi' was free to go back the BA or seek other action.
Last week's programme, he said, was about PBS and Peppi Azzopardi was invited as a director of Where's Everybody and presenter of Xarabank.
Although John Dalli spoke on Lou Bondi during an interview, the programme was not meant to discuss Bondi', Mr Grima said, and Peppi Azzopardi had every opportunity to answer because he was a co-director with Lou Bondi in Where's
Everybody and he was "receiving advice on his tablet on what to say and what not to say."
"My suspicion that it was Lou Bondi' on the other end," Mr Grima said.
Had he accepted Mr Azzopardi's requests to phone Bondi' he would have fallen into a trap and let the programme slip out of his hands, Mr Grima said.
INVITATION FOR DEBATE
Mr Grima also told timesofmalta.com that he had this evening issued an invitation to Lou Bondi' and Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando to have a debate on Inkontri on November 7.
"Pullicino Orlando repeatedly last week challenged Bondi' to a debate, but Bondi' has not reacted. Now I have invited them both for a debate," Mr Grima said.
He said that Dr Pullicino Orlando had accepted the invitation.