House Speaker Anġlu Farrugia yesterday ruled that an altercation between Transport Minister Joe Mizzi and Opposition MP Marthese Portelli, leading her to lodge a complaint, amounted to political bickering and the minister’s comment did not constitute a breach of privilege.

On Monday Mr Mizzi said that when Ms Portelli was a director of WasteServ, she had taken honoraria for board meetings she did not attend. Dr Portelli referred him to the way Environment Minister Leo Brincat had answered a parliamentary question in April 2013.

The Speaker said there was no discrepancy between what Mr Mizzi had said and what Mr Brincat had replied, because the latter had not gone into details of Dr Portelli’s attendance at board meetings. Dr Farrugia also ruled on a breach-of-privilege complaint brought by Toni Bezzina (PN), who on Monday alleged he was obstructed by a journalist and cameraman from One TV when he was on his way into Parliament.

Dr Farrugia said CCTV footage showed that the journalists had not overstepped their limits but simply asked the approaching Mr Bezzina for comments.

He had ignored them by not stopping and in fact had experienced no difficulty in entering the building.

This had also been corroborated by a report by police officers on security duties.