The government statement, issued through the Department of Information, about a report on Net TV regarding comments made by government whip Godfrey Farrugia “contains lies and is only intended to stop the media from carrying out its work in search of the truth,” the Nationalist Party said this afternoon.

On Thursday evening, the government said a Net TV report was edited in such a way as to hide the truth. Dr Farrugia has a good relationship with parliamentary secretary Michael Falzon. In his comments, Dr Farrugia said that Dr Falzon had never been to Argentina with Marco Gaffarena. The way the comments were edited showed otherwise, the government said.

In a press conference this afternoon, spokesman Clyde Puli said the government does not have the right to manipulate the truth, even when it was in disagreement.

He said the Net news report was passed on comments made by both Dr Farrugia and Dr Falzon, and the comments were not edited but aired in their entirety.

Mr Puli said there had been no reference to Argentina in the question, and Dr Falzon had already admitted that he had gone abroad with Mr Gaffarena.

Mr Puli said that if Prime Minister Muscat does not take action against Dr Falzon then he is confirming that he is part of the scandal, which saw property owned by the government being transferred at prices which were lower than the property value.

PN information director Matthew Bonett said if the government intends to stop the media from carrying out its duty, the PN will be defending journalists in their work. Net TV is the only TV station that broadcasts news that the government wants to hide, he said.

In a statement the government reiterated that the PN media had manipulated the clip to distort the message. It had tried to give the impression that Mr Falzon had not told the truth to party Whip Godfrey Farrugia. “This could not be the case because the Parliamentary Secretary had already stated that he had gone abroad with Marco Gaffarena many years ago, but not to Argentina like the Opposition Leader stated. Mr Falzon would not have tried to hide facts which had already been made public. In his comments to Net TV the Whip was referring to Simon Busuttil’s incorrect statements on Argentina and Clyde Puli’s press conference was only a symptom of an Opposition that has nothing else to say.”

In reaction, the PN said Michael Falzon is being super sensitive after Labour Whip Godfrey Farrugia publicly said that Michael Falzon told him that he had not gone abroad with Mark Gaffarena - which is a clear lie. “He's calling names and describing everyone as a liar: Net News, PN spokespersons, independent media and also individuals who accuse Government of breaking their trust. Michael Falzon is surely feeling the heat.”