Former Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando said this morning that Gordon Pisani, former head of communications in Dr Gonzi's secretariat, "lied under oath yesterday when he alleged in court that I had asked Daphne Caruana Galizia to write an article for me before the 2008 elections."

In a statement issued via his government email address as chairman of the Malta Council for Science and Technology, the former MP said he "did not know Ms Caruana Galizia at the time and I am perfectly capable of writing an article myself. I was sent to Ms Caruana Galizia's house, accompanied by Pisani, by Richard Cachia Caruana who insisted that I leave the matter in her hands. He told me that Caruana Galizia wrote all campaign related articles for the PN."

Court report on Mr Pisani's testimony

In a statement in reply, Mr Pisani denied the allegation made by JPO. "In a testimony given given before the Nationalist Party executive on a request by Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and in his presence, in a statement issued on 18 July 2012 and in court yesterday, I explained that Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando was happy to have Daphne Caruana Galizia write an article to be published in his name. I did this based on information he had given on 29 February 2008. It was Jeffrey Pullicino himself who wanted someone to write the article because he had said he was not in a state to write one. I also explained that we had gone to Daphne Caruana Galizia's house in a car driven by a canvasser of Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando."

What JPO alleged - that Daphne Caruana Galizia wrote all articles on behalf of the Nationalist Party - is also untrue, Mr Pisani said.