A police inspector who was questioning former broadcaster Norman Vella last Sunday received a phone call to which she replied "Silvio Scerri who?" and then added that she only gave information to the Police Commissioner.
The phone call is revealed in the text of the police statement which Mr Vella gave the police. He published a copy today. (The chief of staff at the Ministry of Home Affairs is Silvio Scerri)
In his statement Mr Vella denied having photographed Kurt Farrugia, head of the government communications, and Ramona Attard, communications coordinator at the Ministry of Home Affairs while they were at the airport about to board a plane to London.
Mr Vella also reacted again today to comments by the prime minister yesterday, insisting that he was under arrest while he was questioned by the police at his place of work.
The police have alleged that he took the pictures in a restricted area of the airport, where Mr Vella works as immigration officer. No pictures or evidence have so far been produced.
The police also seized his mobile phone and tablet computer. A court will tomorrow consider Mr Vella's application for the court to order the police to return them.
SILVIO SCERRI, MINISTRY EXPLAIN
Silvio Scerri in a reaction told timesofmalta.com that he was at home on Sunday and had not known anything about Mr Vella's case before reporters phoned him asking questions.
He had then phoned the Police communications section. The officer at the CMRU then phoned the inspector telling her that he was asking what was happening.
Mr Scerri said he had not asked about the investigation but was only trying to get replies to the reporters' questions.
"I never phoned the Police Commissioner, I never asked about the investigation, but had I not tried to reply to the reporters' questions, I would have been accused of trying to conceal details of the case," Mr Scerri said.
Ramona Attard, in a reaction on behalf of the Home Affairs Ministry, said that since she was on the aircraft to London while Mr Vella was being questioned, journalists had phoned Mr Scerri instead.
Mr Scerri had then called the CMRU to establish what was happening.
"This is a job I normally do myself," Ms Attard said.
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