Bit by bit, the details are emerging about the secret war waged all through last year, and probably before that as well, between Franco Debono and Lawrence Gonzi.

On Sunday, Dr Gonzi revealed he received thousands of messages from Dr Debono at all times of the day (and night) and sometimes at very awkward times, like when he was at an EU summit or receiving important guests.

Whatever we, the public, knew about the pressure Dr Gonzi was under, pales into insignificance when one takes the facts as they are now coming to be known, into consideration.

Certainly, behaviour such as that by Dr Debono is unwarranted and abusive. The country, the party, the Parliament are well-rid of such a person with such a huge ego and an ambition that brooks no restraint.

But then, over the past days, we have also come to know that on that day in December 2009, that is, at the very beginning of the saga, when Dr Debono ‘fled’ from the House of Representatives when a crucial vote was looming, he was located by the Secret Service who then went to his house and broke into his own bedroom where he was lying in bed, and dragged him out by physical force to oblige him to go to Parliament and vote.

It is certainly unacceptable that, if this is what happened, the Secret Service is used by the government of the day to locate reluctant MPs.

It is certainly unacceptable in any State that respects the due process of the law, for any members of the forces of order, to go up to a bedroom where a person is in bed and physically compel him to go to Parliament.

Dr Debono, whatever his many faults, had broken no law and the forces of order had no right to do that.

If what has been reported over the past days by l-Orizzont corresponds to the truth,  then those who ordered this, and also those who obeyed such ‘ultra vires’ acts, must be brought to justice.

This country, which boasts it is based on the Rule of Law, cannot and should not accept such shenanigans, especially by those in power. Maybe we have been too lenient with the government of the day in its treatment of rebel MPs.

In the end, as we now know, all the pressure that was applied on Dr Debono had no effect on the MP and at the end, he was the one who brought the government down. Maybe, the bedroom scene was so traumatic that it steeled his determination to do his thing when the time came.

The country wants to know who did this and whether this person was obeying orders or whether this person acted beyond orders.

This country also wants to know whether locating a person possibly by triangling the location of the mobile phone is something that can be done like that, without observing the procedures that include a judge’s authorization and clearly defined circumstances, (such as in the case of drug trafficking) or whether they can be ordered by any government against any rebel at any time.

No wonder then that the Gonzi government lost by such a heavy margin after committing such an act of abusive power. The people at large must have realized the time for an administration that was ready to go to extremes to retain power was over.