Standards Commissioner George Hyzler has dismissed a complaint by election candidate Arnold Cassola that a letter sent on behalf of Speaker Anġlu Farrugia to Matthew Caruana Galizia was intimidating.

Speaker Anġlu Farrugia and journalist/activist Matthew Caruana Galizia exchanged sternly-worded correspondence in November over the handling of MP Rosianne Cutajar's ethics breach. 

Caruana Galizia had called on the Speaker to resign, with Farrugia’s lawyer, Ian Refalo, replying that the activist seemed to not understand parliamentary procedure or the laws of Malta. 

Hyzler told Cassola that the letter sent on the Speaker's behalf might be seen as being antagonistic in tone, but it was not intimidating. Nor was it unethical for the Speaker to have used the services of a lawyer to send a letter.

Cassola said he disagreed with Hyzler.

"The Speaker represents the whole parliament and has to be held to even higher standards.  Imagine what would happen in the European Parliament: all MEPs would be up in arms if President Roberta Metsola were to utilise the services of a lawyer to send an official legal letter to a citizen complaining about some particular issue.   Alas, here in Malta, the flaws in the law on Standards in politics can allow the Speaker and his staff member to get away with their intimidating behaviour," he said.