A court yesterday dismissed a request made by Labour Party education secretary Wenzu Mintoff to call Public Broadcasting Services Ltd and production house Where’s Everybody in the libel suit filed by Lou Bondi.

The court, presided over by magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna, heard how Mr Bondi had filed a libel suit following allegations made by Dr Mintoff in the programme Bondi+ that was broadcast on TVM on 6 February.

During the programme, Dr Mintoff had said that strategists within the Nationalist Party had planned to degrade supporters of the Labour Party on the eve of the local council elections.

In his request, Dr Mintoff argued that PBS, as the broadcaster of the programme, and the producer, Where’s Everybody, should also have been sued.

Furthermore, he said, his speech constituted fair comment and was not libellous.

However, magistrate Apap Bologna pointed out that if Where’s Everybody was to be included in the libel suit, then Mr Bondi would be suing himself and his partners.

As a result, Dr Mintoff’s request to include Where’s Everybody was

frivolous and totally unfounded.

Examining Dr Mintoff’s request in respect of PBS, the court ruled that PBS had no legal interest in the libel.

Magistrate Apap Bologna dismissed Dr Mintoff’s request and deferred the case for the evidence to be heard on its own merits.