Updated - Adds reaction by Mr Pandolfino, PN, AD, IGM statements
The editor of MaltaToday, Saviour Balzan, told a court today that he was refusing to reveal the source of stories about the oil procurement scandal.
The editor was asked to reveal his source by Police Inspector Jonathan Ferris saying the source needed to be revealed for police investigations.
He insisted that the law did not cover such sources.
Mr Balzan said he could never reveal his sources.
The exchange took place during the continuation of proceedings against Tancred Tabone, former chairman of Enemalta, who stands accused of receiving bribes.
Earlier, Balzan said the documents he had in his possession did not show any fiscal transactions to Mr Tabone, but emails.
He said he did not steal any information, nor was any information given to him by the police.
At the end of the sitting, Inspector Ferris said former Enemalta Chief Financial Officer Pippo Pandolfino would not be asked to give his evidence at this stage of the proceedings because he was being investigated by the police following his statements to the Public Accounts Committee.
In a reaction, Mr Pandolfino told timesofmalta.com that he was never questioned by the police in connection with the oil procurement scandal and he had no reason to believe that he was being investigated by the police on that matter.
He believed that the reason for the investigation (if any) was not his statements during the PAC, but rather a police report filed by Enemalta when his personal file 'went missing' in September 2013. Enemalta at this point also asked the police to investigate how he took his laptop with him when he left Enemalta.
He was called for questioning last September. He fully co-operated with the police and had not heard anything since.
Questions raised about the file having gone missing were resolved when the file was found in Enemalta's offices. It had also been shown that he had taken the laptop with approval by Enemalta CEO Karl Schembri to facilitate the hand-over to his successor.
In a statement, the Nationalist Party expressed its support with Mr Balzan in and said that source confidentiality was one of the journalistic freedoms guaranteed by law.
Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Arnold Cassola, said AD strongly deplored the police attempt at forcing Mr Balzan to reveal his source.
"The right of journalists not to reveal their sources is sacrosanct," he said.
In a statement, the Institute of Maltese Journalists maintained that the confidentiality of the source wasa right acquired by Maltese journalists on the its initiative many years ago.
It said this was an important principle that guaranteed freedom of the press.
"The Institute has full faith that the Maltese Courts, before which the writ will be filed, will support the right to confidentiality, as guaranteed in the country’s laws," it said.