Nationalist MP Claudette Buttigieg this morning recounted to the court the tension she felt at the counting hall after the last election when she realised that some 50 of her votes had been given to another MP.

She was testifying in a case instituted by the Nationalist Party relating to two mistakes in the counting process.

In one mistake, a packet of 50 votes for Ms Buttigieg was transferred to PN candidate Michael Asciak, who got eliminated resulting in the election of Labour’s Edward Scicluna instead.

In another alleged mistake, 10 votes belonging to PN candidate Frederick Azzopardi went missing, helping Labour’s Justyne Caruana get elected.

Ms Buttigieg testified that when Dr Axiak realised he would not get elected, he congratulated her as he knew his votes would go to her. But as his votes were opened she realised there was a mistake as although the first count vote had been given to her, the votes were under the Axiak label.

She said that she spoke to the Electoral Commission to see what her position was and was told that a mistake had been made but that she should not worry but speak to her representatives.

Ms Buttigieg said the PN formalised its position at a later stage. She said she thought that as a mistake was made it should be corrected.

“I saw those votes with my own eyes and felt very emotional about it… We initiated legal proceedings that day. I'm a member of the parliamentary group but I felt that I should be there not because of a legal correction but because the people chose me. Moreover, there are 50 voters who are not being represented.”

In cross examination, Ms Buttigieg confirmed that even if she had been given those votes she would still be 300 votes short of the quota. But she would have had more votes than Prof. Scicluna.