The Labour Party today published an e-mail which it said was sent by PN General Secretary Paul Borg Olivier asking ministries to forward details on the persons submitting requests and complaints to the government.

Labour leader Joseph Muscat speaking at a press conference this morning, said that last Monday he had discussed the appointment of a new Data Protection Commissioner with the Prime Minister and the two had agreed on a name.

Dr Muscat said he had written to the new commissioner – whose name he did not reveal – asking him to investigate Dr Borg Olivier’s actions.

The Labour leader said the PN e-mail, which had mistakenly also been sent to PL General Secretary Jason Micallef, was serious not only because of data protection implications, but also because it failed to make a distinction between the government and the party.

He explained that the information from the various ministries was actually to be coordinated by two officials employed in the Office of the Prime Minister and paid from public funds.

This whole issue amounted to spying on the people. He said customer care officers in the various ministries were being directed by the party to forward personal details about the people involved, the complaints they made and how they were followed up.

Dr Muscat said that an e-mail sent by the Office of the Prime Minister in reaction to Dr Borg Olivier’s letter was obviously doctored because the PN knew that Labour had learned about the case.

He said that the Prime Minister too, had to shoulder political responsibility for what had happened.