Former TV presenter Norman Vella.Former TV presenter Norman Vella.

PBS chief executive Anton Attard yesterday said he never heard anyone mention that Home Affairs Ministry chief of staff Silvio Scerri wanted to get rid of presenter Norman Vella.

He was replying to questions put to him by Mr Vella’s lawyer, Andrew Borg Cardona, before the Employment Commission.

In a previous sitting, TV presenter John Bundy claimed that Mr Scerri ordered the re-deployment of Mr Vella – a claim being contested by Mr Scerri in a libel suit.

Mr Vella, the former presenter of TV programme TVHemm, instituted the case against Principle Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

Mr Vella is claiming political discrimination in the way he was re-deployed from the State broadcaster to the Immigration Department.

Mr Vella had been deployed to PBS in August 2012 on grounds of public policy.  He was on unpaid leave, during which time he worked as production manager for programmes including Xarabank and Bijografiji.

Yesterday, Mr Attard said he did speak to Mr Scerri about various television programmes, including the one presented by Mr Vella.

Mr Vella was a very competent producer and presenter

Mr Scerri had an understanding of the way the media operated, which was why they spoke about the subject, Mr Attard said, adding that he did not have the same relationship with Mr Scerri’s Nationalist predecessor.

Mr Attard said he knew Mr Vella to be a “very competent” producer and presenter.

Feedback about Mr Vella from the PBS editorial board and board of directors had been mixed. The programme TVHemm featured well according to surveys carried out by the Broadcasting Authority.

The only formal complaint lodged against TVHemm was by former Nationalist MP Franco Debono over a programme aired on December 17, 2012. Another informal complaint was made by the Nationalist Party over the same programme.

Mr Attard said he found out about the re-deployment of Mr Vella from permanent secretary within the Home Affairs Ministry Kevin Mahoney who explained he was needed back to work in immigration.

Dr Borg Cardona then asked Mr Attard where journalists employed by PBS at the end of 2013 had worked before, citing Brandon Pisani, Rodney Vassallo and Dorothy Falzon.

Mr Attard said they were all employed following a public call and previously worked with One TV.

Asked about presenter Norma Saliba, he said she was seconded from the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee on the request of the head of news.

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