The Office of the President is looking into a letter asking for the reconsideration of Muammar Gaddafi’s two National Order of Merit awards that had been bestowed upon him.

The letter, sent by Dr Frank Portelli last week, calls for a meeting of an ‘Honours Forfeiture Committee’ to consider whether recent actions allow him to remain a holder of such merits.

A reply should be sent to Dr Portelli by mid-week.

Dr Portelli, a former Nationalist MP last week wrote: “Recent events compel me as a citizen of Malta to request you as President of Malta, who is also the head of the Maltese Honours, to take the necessary steps to appoint a meeting of an ‘Honours Forfeiture Committee’ to consider whether Muammar Gaddafi’s recent actions allow him to remain a holder of honour and/or whether he has brought our honours into disrepute, and if so to take the actions deemed fit.”

Appointments to the National Order of Merit and to the Xirka Ġieħ ir-Repubblika are made by the President of Malta, who is the head of the Maltese Orders, on the written advice of the Prime Minister.

Colonel Gaddafi was made an honorary member of the Xirka Ġieħ ir-Repubblika on 5 December 1975 and an honorary companion of honour – National Order of Merit on 8 February 2004.