Nationalist MP George Pullicino said today that he was challenging Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi to repeat, outside the House, allegations he had made about him and which harmed his reputation.

Dr Mizzi had said in the House that Mr Pullicino, when he was a minister, had been the subject of many 'warnings' from businessmen.  He had made the claim after accusing Mr Pullicino of entering into an unfavourable energy purchase agreement with a private company.

In a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Pullicino noted that the Speaker had last October found Dr Mizzi prima facie guilty of breach of privilege and the case was put on the agenda of the Privileges Committee.

Mr Pullicino said, he had withdrawn his complaint because he could never expect a fair decision from the committee, controlled by a government majority. The fair forum for this procedure should be an impartial court.

His decision to withdraw his complaint, therefore, did not meant he was dropping his objections to what Dr Mizzi had said. But a government-control forum was not the place to mete out justice to an MP slandered by a government MP.  

He therefore challenged Dr Mizzi to repeat his allegations outside the court and face legal action.

In a reaction during a meeting of the Privileges Committee, Dr Mizzi said he stood by his comments and it was Mr Pullicino's decision to withdraw his case.

Deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech said he took exception to the claim that a committee could not decide objectively because the majority of its members came from the government benches.

Speaker Anglu Farrugia said the Privileges Committee was set up 20 years ago, when its composition was agreed.