Nationalist MP Franco Debono this evening raised a breach of privilege complaint against PBS, TV producer  Pierre Portelli and lawyer Andrew Borg Cardona. He also told parliament that last Saturday a death threat was made against him through SMS. He reported the case to the police and the person involved was identified.

Dr Debono said his complaint the basis of comments which he said constituted incitement, made on television in the programme Close-Up yesterday.   

In remarks which took some 30 minutes, Dr Debono said Mr Portelli did the prime minister’s dirty work while Dr Borg Cardona was a poodle of  Richard Cachia Caruana and had long been persecuting him.

Dr Debono tabled a recording of the programme and hit out at PBS for mudslinging, reiterating that the state broadcaster was back to what it was in the 1980s.

On the death threat which had been made to him, Dr Debono said that once the person responsible had been tracked down, he had decided to forgive him. He said he would not reveal who made the threat.

Earlier, during question time, DrDebono asked three times why opposition questions addressed to the Prime Minister were being answered by Health Minister Joseph Cassar when Dr Gonzi was present in the Chamber.

On the third instance Dr Gonzi rose to point out that every minister had the right to delegate the replies of PQs to fellow MPs. He was ready to intervene if a problem cropped up.

Dr Debono said he did not think the Standing Orders allowed this to happen when the minister concerned was not absent. Mr Speaker Michael Frendo said there was nothing in the Standing Orders to preclude what was happening.

The Nationalist backbencher said the questions, put by Labour MP Noel Farrugia about reports received by the police of crime in his constituency, concerned the Home Affairs Ministry which was still feeling the repercussions of the “strong earthquake” it had gone through with the forced resignation of the former minister.