Adds PN statement -

Opposition leader Joseph Muscat this evening demanded the resignation of Edgar Galea Curmi, the head of the prime minister's private secretariat, after the Commissioner of Police revealed he had received a phone call from him about the arrest of Chris Engerer, Cyrus's father.

In a statement, Dr Muscat said such a phone call amounted to interference and it would undermine the credibility of the police if Mr Galea Curmi did not resign or was not dismissed by the prime minister.

Dr Muscat called for an inquiry into this matter and also into how charges against Cyrus Engerer were leaked to the press (See story at http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110726/local/Deputy-mayor-facing-porn-computer-misuse-charges.377402 ).

Dr Muscat said the Opposition wanted to be represented on both inquiries.

Earlier, Mr Galea Curmi issued a statement to explain his phone call to Mr Rizzo after Cyrus Engerer's father was arrested and his property was searched for drugs.

In his statement, Mr Galea Curmi said:

"On Friday 22 July late morning I received a phone call from Cyrus Engerer. I took the phone call and promised Cyrus to phone him back as I was in a meeting.

"I phoned Cyrus back around 1.30 p.m. and, while speaking on the phone, I bumped into him outside the Xara Palace Hotel in Mdina.

"Cyrus told me that he was speaking to me as a friend because his father had been arrested. This was the first time I got to know about Chris Engerer's arrest. Cyrus told me that his father's lawyer, Dr. Carlo Bizazza, had told him that "he was to expect such incidents now that he had taken the plunge and resigned from PN.

"I told him that I was only hearing about this incident from him and
immediately phoned the Commissioner of Police, in front of Cyrus and in a way that he could hear every single detail of the phone call.

"The Commissioner of Police stated to me that report on Cyrus's father had been filed before Cyrus's resignation from PN. I explained to the Commissioner of Police what Cyrus had said that Dr. Bizazza had told him. The Commissioner of Police categorically denied any relationship
whatsoever between Cyrus's resignation from PN and the arrest of Cyrus's father. I asked the Commissioner of Police to meet Dr. Bizazza and explain to him the facts. I understand that the Commissioner of Police decided not to follow my request to meet Dr. Bizazza and I respect his decision.

"All the above can be testified by the Commissioner of Police and Cyrus himself.

"On a personal level, I am Cyrus's Confirmation Godfather and care a lot for Cyrus and his family. I am deeply upset by the way certain elements in the media are manipulating two unfortunate incidents of people I deeply care for with the sole aim of defaming the Prime Minister and the people around him. As a result of these malicious stories, I have instructed my lawyer to institute libel proceedings against MaltaToday.

CYRUS ENGERER IS 'A VICTIM'

In his press statement this evening Dr Muscat said he did not wish to comment on the allegations made against Cyrus Engerer as they were personal, not political, He did not know of the allegations against Cyrus Engerer before, but saw no need for action by the PL.

Dr Muscat said he preferred to speak about matters he was certain about. However he viewed Cyrus Engerer as a victim and a symbol of the many people who were victimised for not being Gonzi's Nationalists. Such people had to be defended.

Dr Muscat said he did not wish to speculate about how the police investigations coincided with Cyrus Engerer's decision to join the PL, but said Mr Galea Curmi's phone call to the police commissioner was unacceptable.

PN STATEMENT

The Nationalist Party said the press conference held by the Commissioner of Police earlier today showed there was no political interference in the police investigations into allegations made against Cyrus Engerer.

It noted that when Mr Engerer was interrogated, on June 23, he was still a member of the PN.

Mr Engerer urged the police to expedite their investigations on July 9, before his resignation from the PN.

He resigned from the party on July 15.

The PN said it had had no knowledge of the investigations and interrogation of Mr Engerer.