The prime minister this morning testified in court in libel proceedings he had instituted  over an election billboard and comments made by Nationalist Party leaders.

Dr Muscat insisted that he had never said that the minimum wage should be frozen, and that cost of living increases should not be given to minimum wage earners.

The case was instituted after the PN produced a billboard showing Dr Muscat holding an ice cube and saying that the minimum wage would be frozen.

Dr Muscat said the fact that he had not made such a declaration was proven by the fact that the government over the past two budgets had  not frozen the minimum wage and had given cost of living increases.

He said that as a politician he tolerated criticism, but the PN had attributed to him remarks which he had never made.