Speaker Anglu Farrugia on Monday urged MPs to treat each other with respect after ruling that he could not establish whether a Nationalist MP had mocked  Labour backbencher Carmelo Abela when he spoke on the hardship he and his family endured after untrue claims linking him to an attempted heist at HSBC.

The incident took place at the end of last month as parliament was debating amendments to the law to protect journalists from frivolous cross-border libel actions. 

In his address, an emotional Abela said that while journalists and people of goodwill should be protected, so should politicians who are lied about.

He recounted what his family went through following allegations by former PN MP Jason Azzopardi.  

Abela became emotional as he described his experience, which ended when he recently won libel proceedings against Azzopardi. He was unable to continue his speech.

Justice Minister Jonathan Attard said it was shameful that Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina had laughed at Abela as he described his family's ordeal.  

Aquilina denied the claim and raised a breach of privilege complaint.

The Speaker said he was unable to confirm or deny the claim since the cameras had been focused on Abela, who was in possession of the House. However, he urged all MPs to always treat each other with respect.