A Labour Party employee who has been linked to the case of leaking information to the Nationalist media has gone out on “long leave”, The Malta Independent on Sunday can reveal.

Both Nathalie Attard and the Labour Party rebutted in statements issued yesterday the story carried by the Nationalist Party media, which reported that Ms Attard had resigned.

The party executive committee met last Friday, as expected, behind closed doors. Sources said the discussion was calm but firm on what steps needed to be taken.

Labour leader Alfred Sant had initially threatened to reveal the name of the “snake” at the party’s annual general conference but backed down later.

This decision to send Ms Attard out on long leave was perhaps a relief for Labour’s Deputy Leader Michael Falzon who had been in something of a quandary these past few days especially since the name of Ms Attard was mentioned in the newspapers as allegedly being the source of the leak to the PN media.

In her statement yesterday, Ms Attard said she has never admitted to, nor will she ever admit, being the source of the leak because she has never been involved in any such activity.

She added that no party structure has ever accused her, proved or found her guilty of any activity that could damage the party.

She also reiterated her support for the party and the leadership.

It was noted that during last Sunday’s weekly discussion meeting, Dr Falzon was seen sitting in the audience as both Dr Sant and Deputy leader Charles Mangion took the speakers’ podium. Dr Falzon usually sits on the podium as well. Also conspicuous by her absence was Ms Attard as was the unusual strong presence of MPs and prospective Labour candidates who turned up in a show of support for Dr Sant.

Ms Attard has always been close to Dr Falzon and has been his personal assistant. She has also worked with Labour MEP John Attard Montalto, another vocal critic of Sant and once a contender for the party leadership.

Over the past decade, Dr Falzon has built the party’s electoral office into a smooth, well oiled machine counting on the support of colleagues such as Louis Gatt, who is also vice president of the party, and Ronnie Pellegrini, former district committee leader of the second and third electoral districts.

Dr Falzon is also understood to be contesting the second and 10th electoral districts in the forthcoming general election; in the former he hopes for strong backing from the still substantial Mintoffian minority while in the latter he is on his home turf, which is Sliema and now includes Gzira, a far more Labour leaning town than Swieqi, which used to form a Nationalist juggernaut of a district.