One News said today that it stood by a news story it carried yesterday that the Prime Minister had wanted to remove Giovanna Debono from her post as Minister for Gozo.

Reacting to a statement issued yesterday by the Office of the Prime Minister, the Labour Party station said its story had been substantiated by Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, who had said that last week he attended a meeting with the Prime Minister and his secretary during which he was told there were plans for Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said.

Dr Pullicino had reiterated today, after consulting his sources, that Mrs Debono was to have been moved to another ministry, but she did not wish to be transferred.

Dr Pullicino Orlando added that he had been told this even by other MPs.

One News said that while the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday denied its story, it did not deny a similar story carried on The Times on Tuesday morning.

PBS had also reported that Mrs Debono had a long meeting with the Prime Minister just before the reshuffle was announced.

PBS REACTION

PBS in a reaction said that what it had reported was that ministers Dolores Cristina and Giovanna Debono had meetings at the Auberge de Castille, but it had added that not all meetings with thePrime Minister were related to the reshuffle.

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