I was truly amazed when reading Ranier Fsadni’s article ‘A stab in a Maltese jail’ (December 15). From a very studied and researched ruling lasting over 45 minutes, Fsadni just picked  up a couple of sentences, then built all his arguments around them! Not one single quotation of former Speakers, including PN Speakers, cited by Speaker Anġlu Farrugia, which justified his ruling,  was mentioned in Fsadni’s harsh criticism on Justice Minister Owen Bonnici and the Speaker.

Neither, it seems, did it occur to Fsadni to check whether Jason Azzopardi – who Fsadni wanted readers to start imagining languishing in jail –  has also used the same breach of privilege complaint against others.

So may I remind him?

In May 2010, when Azzopardi served as parliamentary secretary, he had raised a breach of privilege complaint against One TV and maltastar.com.

Had Fsadni written a similar article then, suggesting that Azzopardi had wanted to send the head of One TV and the editor of maltastar.com to jail and that he had wanted to curtail their freedom of speech?

There were other PN deputies who also raised breach of privilege complaints, such as PN whip David Agius.

Fsadni also suggested that Bonnici could have sued Azzopardi in court. But doesn’t he remember the scenes we witnessed, just a few months ago, when a rent-a-crowd of PN supporters from Paola had gathered in front of the law courts because Azzopardi had said he could be sent to jail as he was facing a criminal libel sentence? By the way, the only ministers I remember landing in jail were Labour ones –Patrick Holland, Agatha Barbara and Albert Hyzler – while the PN had not raised even a whisper in protest at the time!

I followed the parliamentary debate on Azzopardi’s motion challenging the Speaker’s ruling. Throughout the debate the Opposition speakers made a song and dance about Bonnici and the government wanting to stifle freedom of expression when supporting Bonnici’s breach of privilege complaint. On that very same day, the PN had done all in its power, in front of the Broadcasting Authority, to stop the Prime Minister from addressing the nation on New Year’s Day!

Perhaps Fsadni may, one day, find the necessary political will to comment on PN contradictions when they speak about “freedom of expression”.

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