Updated | Minister’s aide was only following up on journalists’ questions on Vella arrest

An immigration official who was arrested and questioned on the alleged taking of photos in a restricted area at Malta International Airport, has reiterated his innocence on accusations that he had photographed two government officials as they passed through passport control.

The official, former TV presenter Norman Vella, released a copy of the statement he gave to the police during the interrogation.

Vella denies having taken photos of government's chief communications coordinator Kurt Farrugia and home affairs ministry spokesperson Ramona Attard, and leaking them to blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia.

In his statement to the police, Vella also points out that during the interrogation and in the presence of her colleagues, police inspector Maria Stella Attard took a call in which she answered, “who is Silvio Scerri?” - a reference to the chief of staff of home affairs minister Manuel Mallia - and that he heard her say she does not divulge any information except to the police commissioner.

But in a reaction, Scerri told MaltaToday that upon learning of the arrest from questions put to him by the media on Sunday evening, he called the police Community & Media Relations Unit (CMRU) to enquire about the arrest. "The person who took my call at the CMRU told me she did not know anything but that she would check on the matter... if anything, it was the CMRU member who was inquiring on the matter after I first called up for information."

Scerri said he was only following up on journalists' questions, to find out what had led to Vella's arrest. "Since Ramona Attard was abroad, journalists were contacting me as chief of staff for information on the matter."

In his statement to the media, Norman Vella also emphasised that he was under arrest while being interrogated, in contrast to comments made by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in which he said that Vella had only been taken in for questioning.

In his police statement, Vella said that none of the alleged photos he was accused of taking had been found either on his mobile or on his tablet. Both were confiscated by police.

"I was told that CCTV footage would be analysed - I declare that any footage of me with a mobile phone in my hand was for my personal used and not to take any photos. I was also told at the start of the interrogation that I would be suspended from work, which decision was changed in the course of the interrogation," Vella said.