Former television presenter Norman Vella said this afternoon that personality John Bundy told him he heard Interior Ministry chief of staff Silvio Scerri say he wanted Mr Vella out of the Public Broadcasting Services Limited.

Testifying before the Employment Commission, Mr Vella said Mr Bundy told him this a few days after the last sitting. Mr Vella will now file a request to summon him as a witness in the case.

Later today, Mr Scerri called timesofmalta.com to deny the claim.

The commission is hearing the case Mr Vella, the former presenter of TVHemm, instituted against the Prime Minister and the Principal Permanent Secretary claiming political discrimination in the way he was re-deployed from PBS to the Immigration Department.

Mr Vella said that a few weeks after he was sent back to the Immigration Office, PBS saw a large influx of people, especially journalists who previously worked for Labour’s television station, One.

He said that when he learnt that his redeployment to PBS was being withdrawn he spoke to PBS chief executive Anton Attard, board member Frank Portelli and chairman Tonio Portughese who all confirmed that the decisions were being taken “from higher up”.