Three proposed amendments to the Criminal Code currently being discussed in parliament should be removed, Labour spokesperson on Home Affairs Gavin Gulia said yesterday.

He said the opposition does not agree with the elimination of corroboration for an accomplice's testimony, on the need for authorisation from the Chief Justice to open a magisterial inquiry on request of a private citizen and, not granting bail for three months to a repeated offender of serious crimes within a time span of 10 years.

The Labour party, Dr Gulia said, had made it clear from the very beginning that the proposed bill has many positive amendments on drug-sharing and racial crimes.

Dr Gulia pointed out that opposition will not vote against the bill in the second reading. However, it will vote against the three amendments in the committee stage and call for a division if needed, he added.

Nationalist MPs Jason Azzopardi and Mario de Marco also expressed their concern about the above-mentioned amendments in their presentations in parliament, said Dr Gulia.

He appealed to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi to take into consideration these objections made by Nationalist MPs and the opposition.

"If these three amendments are approved in the committee stage, they will be removed within the first six months of Labour government," concluded Dr Gulia.