A good number of couples are receiving a “legal letter” from Arms Ltd, urging them to pay their dues within three days to prevent legal action, as well as a garnishee order being taken out against them.

They were also being charged €12 for the letter, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this morning.

Speaking at Ghaxaq, Dr Muscat said that this letter was being received by people who had already paid their bill.

Moreover, it was unsigned and although it said that it was coming from Arms Ltd’s legal office, this company did not have a legal office.

Dr Muscat said he doubted the validity of this letter and an answer was needed form the ministers responsible.

Such a letter, he said, showed that these people had no idea how the consumer should be treated.

The Labour leader also spoke on the recently presented bills on the whistleblower and amendments to the permanent commission against corruption.

He welcomed the two bills, which were a good basis to build upon but said they were not enough.

Dr Muscat said it was a shame that the timing of their publication was dictated by survey results rather than conviction.

The opposition, he said, would be presenting amendments in Parliament. While it agreed, for example, with the recommendation to have the chairman of the Permanent Commission Against Corruption elected by a two thirds Parliamentary vote, the government should have gone the whole hog and adopted the same procedure for the appointment of the other two members.

The Labour Party would also be seeking a degree of protection for whistleblower, whether or not they were involved in the case they were talking about.

Earlier, Dr Muscat called for new rights for the elderly, including a law to protect vulnerable persons not just from physical abuse but also from psychological bullying even by professional people.

Asked about Air Malta, he said that the PL’s position was that this national asset was not for sale.

The airline had, along the years, opened new routes that would not have made economic sense for a private company but were important in the national interest.

He said he was disappointed with the negotiations going on between the government and European Commission on Air Malta but did not elaborate.

Dr Muscat criticised the Prime Minister for saying during the Independence Day celebrations that Air Malta could not continue to be allowed to strangle the economy.

This, he said, should not be used as a prelude to privatisation or part privatisation of the airline.