PN rebuts counting hall assault allegations

The Nationalist Party and its television station yesterday claimed the Malta Labour Party seemed to be making it a habit of converting real facts into fantasy, calling losers the winners and victims the aggressors.

Media Link Communications Limited and the party general secretary replied to a judicial protest filed by Ronald Axisa, rebutting all his allegations that he had been assaulted at the Ta' Qali counting hall.

Respondents claimed Axisa had made unfounded and false allegations against them, "fairy tales contradicted by a large number of witnesses and film".

There had been no aggression at the Ta' Qali counting hall on the part of the press, the crews of Radio 101 and Net Television, nor on the part of the PN's counting agents.

All the counting agents of the political parties were doing their work peacefully and in full collaboration with one another.

It was only when the political parties had sufficient evidence to show that the referendum result was in favour of the yes vote that the Leader of the Opposition, who had lost the referendum, felt the need to visit the counting hall to tell his agents that the loser had won the referendum.

Besides the counting agents already in the hall, Alfred Sant was accompanied by a number of persons who were not authorised, and therefore not entitled, to approach the counting hall, let alone enter it. However, in a blatant violation of the law, the Opposition Leader led such persons into the hall.

It was this crowd accompanying the Opposition Leader who had, in a violent and aggressive manner, not allowed other persons to do their work.

The Net Television cameraman who was filming the scene was pushed down violently by these persons and other counting agents were pushed too. These were the victims of violence, and not Axisa.

Respondents categorically denied all Axisa's allegations and challenged him to stop broadcasting false reports.

Dr Joseph Zammit Maempel signed the reply.