I refer to the editorial on ‘information management pitfalls’ (February 11) which tends to classify the press briefing given after the conclusion of the magisterial inquiry into the Paqpaqli Għall-Istrina incident as an exercise in selective information management.

Hence the Minister for Justice is said to have “preferred to be selective when briefing the media” and readers are also warned of the “pitfalls of being selective when highlighting the findings of a magisterial inquiry”.

All this produces an innuendo of dodgy and underhanded behaviour which is supposed to have been ‘managed’ to misinform or mislead the public about the Paqpaqli inquiry.

This is absolutely false. The conclusions of the Paqpaqli inquiry were given and nothing was left out.

The information given was accurate and complete and it was made clear that the findings of an inquiry are not tantamount to a finding of guilt but are findings that there is enough evidence to file charges.

The conclusions were communicated to the press who, as your own journalists can confirm, were also given the chance to verify the accuracy of the briefing against the original conclusions.

Editor’s note: The editorial in question was making the case for the whole inquiry report to be published and not just the conclusions, on which the ministry focuses in its reply. If the Justice Minister felt it essential to communicate to the people the findings of a magisterial inquiry, he should have released the whole report and not be selective.