The Press Ethics Commission has resigned because of a leak of a draft decision .

The decision, about a case moved by PBS editor Natalino Fenech against Charles Flores, was published by Mr Flores in l-Orizzont before the commission had approved it.

The commission said that as the person who leaked the draft decision was not identified, it had no other option but to resign.

In a statement, the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IĠM) said it accepted the resignation.

IĠM chairman Malcolm J Naudi said the institute understood that the situation was untenable but it did not have the means to investigate whether the leak was brought about by the interception of an e-mail or through the deliberate action of a commission member to make a draft decision available to one of the parties in a complaint.

“Since no member of the PEC offered to admit having passed on the information, and resigning, it was impossible to ask the journalist involved to reveal the source. This goes against the very tenets of press freedom that the IĠM has striven to protect.

“When the IĠM Council asked Charles Flores to clarify his position, he assured the Council that he was prepared to take an affidavit stating that he obtained the information from another source and not from a PEC member.

“Despite this, Mr Flores has offered to resign from the IĠM Council, and his resignation will be discussed at the next IĠM Council meeting."

Mr Naudi said the IGM was committed to ensure that this vital organ would continue to function and would make an announcement on a new commission as soon as possible.