Wrong facts

We do not usually engage in tit-for-tat exchanges. But Arnold Cassola's "facts" (October 23) are wrong. First, he misquotes us stating that Romano Prodi's comments "were simmering in the European media". In fact, we said the opposite. We said that we replied to Mr Prodi promptly "rather than let the story simmer in the European media" (October 20). Having distorted what we said, he then accuses us of blatant untruth. How cheap.

Secondly, he is wrong again in stating that nobody in the European or world media carried the story. Both Mr Prodi's comments and our reaction were indeed reported in the European media, from the BBC to The Times no less. So it was just as well that we had replied. Otherwise press reports would have been carried without a prompt reaction from Maltese MEPs.

We are sure that not even Prof. Cassola would have wanted that, even if on his part, he first did nothing, then belatedly condemned Mr Prodi and then fell over himself to defend him, hitting out at us in the process for having stood up for Malta.

Thirdly, Prof. Cassola evokes "our way of doing politics" during the last MEP elections. We do recall that during that campaign he had instituted libel proceedings against one of us and got a great deal of political mileage playing the victim. What Prof. Cassola does not say is that he never bothered to turn up in court to substantiate his claims and went on to lose his case whereas we were completely exonerated. So much for Prof Cassola's "facts".

A fine way of doing politics indeed. For us this chapter is closed. We let readers judge whether we acted correctly and consistently.