Hermann Schiavone is not a candidate of the PN and has been directed not to present himself as one, the Nationalist Party said.

The PN was replying to The Times on claims by Nationalist MP Franco Debono's that Herman Schiavone had accused him of sending an anonymous letter.

"It is unacceptable for the Nationalist Party that a serious allegation is made against one of its MPs by a person who then fails to either substantiate the allegation when asked to do so or to withdraw the allegation," it said.

The PN added that notwithstanding the fact that Dr Schiavone was directed not to present himself as a candidate, he failed to adhere to these instructions.

Dr Debono had said that the Prime Minister's head of secretariat Edgar Galea Curmi had told him Dr Schiavone made the claim in 2009. He said Mr Galea Curmi had told him the allegation had been made about him and another person who was close to another candidate. He was not told who this other person was.

In the 2003 election, candidate Herman Schiavone was forced to withdraw his candidature on the fifth electoral district – the same one contested by Dr Debono – after an anonymous letter alleged he was involved in some wrongdoing.

The other candidates were Ninu Zammit, Louis Galea, Helen d’Amato, Nadine Sciberras, Helga Zahra, Ivan Schembri and Dr Schiavone's wife Anna.

Mr Zammit and Dr Galea were elected in that election. Since Dr Galea had also been elected on another district, Mrs d'Amato took the seat he gave up following a by-election.

The Schiavones were absent from the political scene in the 2008 election but Dr Schiavone later started showing an active interest in becoming a candidate again.

Dr Debono told timesofmalta.com this morning:

"Since I am not an outspoken person I have suffered in silence for months to the serious detriment of my health and I even had to inform the police to protect myself.

I think such an unfounded allegation harms not just me but also the party."

This issue arose after PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier told The Times last week that given the serious European economic and financial crisis, the instability in world markets and the challenges facing the euro, comments Dr Debono was making about the justice and home affairs ministry were not particularly helpful.

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