PBS chief executive Anton Attard told a magistrate today that the instructions to end Norman Vella's deployment to the national television station did not come from former Home Affairs Ministry chief of staff Silvio Scerri but from the permanent secretary Kevin Mahoney.
Mr Attard also said that he could not recall ever specifically discussing with Mr Scerri the termination of Mr Vella's deployment at PBS.
He was testifying before Magistrate Francesco Depasquale during libel proceedings Mr Scerri instituted against television personality John Bundy over the latter’s claim that he had heard Mr Scerri issuing the order for the deployment to be terminated.
Mr Bundy had told the Employment Commission last year how he happened to be at the ministry at the time when he heard Mr Scerri issue the order for Mr Vella to be returned to his job at the Immigration Department.
He said Mr Scerri was speaking to a certain “Anton” at the time, ostensibly referring to Mr Attard. Mr Attard had denied that Mr Scerri ever spoke to him about this matter.
Mr Scerri filed libel proceedings over a story carried in Times of Malta on June 5 last year.
Mr Vella worked as an immigration official, but before being redeployed to his airport posting after the last general election, he had been granted unpaid leave to work in broadcasting. He first worked for Where's Everybody and then began presenting a programme TVHEMM on the national television station.
Following the termination, Mr Vella contested the European Parliament elections on behalf of the Nationalist Party and now presents a daily programme on the PN's NET Television.
Asked whether, as chief of staff, Mr Scerri could have involved himself in this issue, Mr Attard said the deployment with PBS and its revocation, which took place nine months later, was "a civil service internal mechanism".
He could not recall any specific phone calls with Scerri where Vella was the topic of discussion.
The case continues in June.
Lawyer Edward Gatt is representing Mr Scerri while lawyer Robert Abela is appearing for Mr Bundy.