Brigitte Vassallo, care manager at the Dar il-Madonna tal-Mellieħa home for the elderly, who was at the centre of a controversy during the divorce referendum when she was accused of influencing voters, has rebutted the accusations levelled against her.

In a letter to this newspaper, Ms Vassallo said, “I categorically deny having ever asked any residents of the home whether he or she wanted to divorce.”

She goes on to explain that: “The question put to each resident – in the presence of the Electoral Commission representative, the home’s secretary, a police officer and a representative of the Labour and Nationalist parties – was whether he/she wanted to vote in the divorce referendum. All these persons have made a statement to the police inspector and to an electoral commissioner who investigated the unfounded allegation.”

But when asked to comment on the findings of the investigation, which had been called for by members of the Yes to Divorce campaign, Chief Electoral Commissioner Saviour Gauci, in his latest disregard of valid questions from the press, simply told this newspaper: “In matters concerning the Electoral Commission, when the Commission has something to report, it does so through a press release.”

In the letter, sent through Ms Vassallo’s legal advisers, it is stressed that: “It is untrue that Ms Vassallo influenced or attempted to influence any resident of the home about how they were going to vote. She never discussed the subject with any of the residents except to ascertain whether they required transport to their respective polling booths.

“It is absolutely untrue that the representative of the Electoral Commission admitted that Ms Vassallo ever asked any resident ‘Do you want to get divorced?’

“There was no polling booth at the Mellieħa home as reported. All residents who did not have transport were provided with transport, accompanied by a representative of both the Labour and Nationalist Parties to the respective polling booth of each resident.”