The former chief of staff at the Home Affairs Ministry insisted in court this morning that he did not call any police officer following the infamous shooting incident on November 19 involving the former minister's driver.

Silvio Scerri is suing the Nationalist Party daily In-Nazzjon for libel over an article alleging he interfered in the shooting incident.

The article on the front page dated November 24 was called 'Paul Sheehan imġiegħel jigdeb li spara fl-arja'. (Paul Sheehan forced to lie and say he fired shots in the air).

[attach id=460349 size="medium"]Silvio Scerri[/attach]

The article claimed Mr Scerri had told PC Sheehan, then driver of Minister Manuel Mallia, to lie and say he had fired shots in the air during the incident that had been followed by Dr Mallia’s sacking.

Soon after the incident, the government had issued a statement saying Mr Sheehan had fired warning shots in the air. It later resulted that Stephen Smith’s car was hit by two bullets. Another official statement was issued the following day pointing out that the information about the shots having been fired in the air was incorrect.

This morning, Mr Scerri insisted that while the journalist who penned the article, Joe Mikallef, had quoted sources within high government ranks, he had not communicated with Mr Scerri to clarify whether he had called Mr Sheehan.

He had provided his call logs for the magisterial inquiry, and was ready to do so again.

"I not only did not call [Mr] Sheehan, but no other police officer," he said, later adding that he had resigned after Dr Mallia had stepped down.

During a counter examination by Peter Fenech, appearing for In-Nazzjon, Mr Scerri said he got to know about the incident at around 9.55pm from a Times of Malta journalist.

He then called former Police Commissioner Ray Zammit, asking him about the incident, and was told not to worry as the shots had been fired in the air. He called back the journalist, but she already knew this.

He eventually managed to get hold of his ministry's and the OPM's communication officers, who were together. He did not speak to Dr Mallia.

Mr Scerri said he was at home when the incident happened, and when asked to exhibit his landline call log, he said he did not have a phone at home.

The case continues on November 12.

Edward Gatt appeared for Mr Scerri. In a separate case, Mr Sheehan is pleading not guilty to the attempted murder of Stephen Smith. The case is still pending.