Xarabank presenter Peppi Azzopardi this morning stood by his decision to help Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando before a televised press conference by Alfred Sant in the run-up to the general election in 2008.

Pullicino Orlando revealed he was coached by Mr Azzopardi when giving evidence in a court case yesterday.

Replying to questions on TVAM, Mr Azzopardi said that at the time he felt that Pullicino Orlando was being persecuted in the media and, as he did in other similar circumstances, he had phoned and enquired about him.

One hour before the press conference he spoke to Pullicino Orlando and gave him advice on how to communicate better.

"I did not tell him what to say, but how to say it in view of my experience on media matters," Azzopardi said.

He said he had given similar help to persons from all three political parties over the years. Indeed, soon after he became PL leader, Joseph Muscat invited him to participate in an Ethics Committee for the PL's media. Along with another person, he had organised a two-day seminar for all the PL journalists.

"At the time no one complained of conflict of interest, no one carried that on the front page. To help the PL seems to be okay, but then there are objections to helping Pullicino Orlando," Azzopardi said.

He said he would continue to do what he did, and he did not feel he had done anything wrong in helping a person being hounded in the press.