Former Labour Minster Joe Debono Grech will be facing court charges after allegedly threatening a police officer, the Times of Malta is informed.

The fiery 78-year old former Labour politician, who did not contest the last general elections after decades in parliament, was allegedly involved in an altercation with the police at the Mġarr port a few weeks ago on his way to catch the Gozo ferry to Malta.

Gozo Channel sources told the Times of Malta that the former Transport Minister had an argument with the police as he accused him of not doing his duty.

The sources said that the former MP shouted at the police officer and threatened to report him to the Prime Minister.

As a consequence, charges are now being brought in the Gozo court in front of Magistrate Joe Mifsud against the former Labour deputy leader.

READ: Debono Grech fails to declare his consultancy income

Asked more than three weeks ago to confirm the incident and state whether charges were issued against Mr Debono Grech, the police did not reply.

Just last month, President Marie Louis Coleiro Preca awarded Mr Debono Grech the National Order of Merit (Gieħ ir-Repubblika) for his service to the country.

This is not the first time that Mr Debon Grech’s hot temperament has landed him in trouble.

During the last legislature, the former MP had made threatening comments to his fellow MP Marlene Farrugia when she was harshly criticising the Labour government. 

In 1998, during upheaval in Parliament when Labour was about to lose its majority in the house, then-minister Debono Grech had attempted to physically assault former Labour leader Dom Mintoff, after the latter voted against the government led by Alfred Sant.

Mr Debono Grech had called Mr Mintoff a traitor for voting with the Nationalist Opposition.