European Commissioner John Dalli has called on the Broadcasting Authority to take action against broadcaster Lou Bondi.
"I expect you to take the necessary action so that this incorrigible person who believes he is above everyone else, will stop using public broadcasting for his own interests in flagrant breach of the law," Mr Dalli said in a letter he sent the BA.
In his letter, Commissioner Dalli complalined that during yesterday's Bondi+ programme, Mr Bondi mentioned him out of context during a discussion on today's debate in Parliament on the motion of no confidence in Transport Minister Austin Gatt.
Mr Bondi had insinuated that he could have something to do with the position that was being taken by Nationalist MP Franco Debono.
Commissioner Dalli said he wanted to make it clear that he did not have anything to do with the matter, neither directly, nor indirectly.
He said he was strongly objecting to the fact that the Authority, which was supposed to safeguard the independence of broadcasting, especially public broadcasting, allowed someone such as Mr Bondi to use prime time to promote his own agendas or to promote or destroy those he wanted, whenever he wanted.
Commissioner Dalli said that yesterday's was another link in the chain of misinformation campaigns and comments by Mr Bondi aimed at undermining his (Commissioner Dalli's) esteem with the Maltese people.
He said he was told Mr Bondi had been doing this in his blogs for a long time.
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In a reaction, Lou Bondi said it seemed that Mr Dalli thought he could hinder free Maltese journalism. He said that in yesterday's programme, he had simply put a question to the PN General Secretary. He had asked him whether there was a connection between Dr Debono's declaration on the operation of the national parliament and the European Commission and the fact that Mr Dalli was a member of the commission.
The question was legitimate, and if Mr Dalli did not like it, that was his problem. It was not a problem for Bondi Plus or the Broadcasting Authority.
Mr Bondi said he would report Mr Dalli's 'unacceptable actions' to the president of the European Commission and would also be writing to the MEPs.