Four members of the commission which had been set up by the Labour Party to draw up a code of ethics for the PL's media in 2008 are contradicting a claim by TV presenter Peppi Azzopardi that he had trained Super One employees during two seminars.

Commission chairman Carmen Sammut and members Charles Flores, Joe A.Vella and Roger Mifsud said in a letter to Labour leader Joseph Muscat that the commission had been set up at a time when it seemed the two political parties had realised that strong partisanism was destroying the media and the democratic processes in Malta.

They said that Mr Azzopardi had participated in an optimistic environment in the hope that matters could perhaps also change on state media.

He had participated openly, he knew what he was going in for and what was expected from him.

The four members said that contrary to the impression being given, the code was not drawn up by Mr Azzopardi and another person but many meetings had been held in which all members of the commission took part and gave useful contribution. This could be seen from the meetings' minutes.

When the draft was completed, consultation with workers, contributors and civil society was embarked upon.

The four members said that Mr Azzopardi was currently saying and giving the impression that he trained Super One employees during two seminars.

Two seminars in which 39 employees took part were organised by the commission in August 2008. These were not training seminars but consultation meetings. Mr Azzopardi had organised an ice breaking game which did not have anything to do with ethics or politics but was aimed at getting those present to know each other better.

This was in no way comparable to Mr Azzopardi's hidden role with the Nationalist Party in the midst of the electoral campaign, the four members said.

They said that they wanted to clarify what had taken place so as not to get more entangled in a world of spin and speculation.