Portelli demands resignation of Medical Council president
Matthew Vella
The chief executive of St Philip’s Hospital and former Nationalist MEP candidate Dr Frank Portelli, yesterday called for the resignation of the president of the Medical Council, Dr Josella Farrugia.
Portelli could be struck off the doctors’ register if he does not pay a €10,000 fine over a letter he wrote to Dr Louis Buhagiar on 16 July, 2003. In this letter, Portelli said he had informed Buhagiar that he was being suspended from St Philip’s Hospital because of “repeated complaints we had received about the professional fees Dr Buhagiar was charging patients”.
The Council accused Portelli of making defamatory allegations against Buhagiar, but Portelli claims it should be Josella Farrugia, a lawyer who is also a judge on the Church Tribunals for marriage nullity, who should step down.
Following the decision, Portelli said he had written the letter in his capacity as a CEO of St Philip’s Hospital and not in his personal capacity, accusing the council of acting outside the powers ascribed to it by law.
“No doctor can suspend another doctor unless he occupies a position of authority. But in my capacity as a CEO of St Philips Hospital, the Medical Council acted outside the powers ascribed to it by law,” Portelli said.
Yesterday he said that it was a legal requisite for any court to state the facts of which a person is found guilty when delivering judgement against the accused, and that the article of the law creating the offence is quoted.
Portelli added the Medical Council’s decision erroneously refers to the Legal Notice 39 of 2009, an amendment to the Commissioners For Justice Act, and not to the Health Professionals Act.
“The President of the Medical Council has therefore issued and signed a sentence in my regard which is null and void. I expect that the only honourable way out is for the President of the Medical Council to resign from the position which she holds having been appointed to this position in the first instance by the Prime Minister.”
Last week the Medical Council said it would stand by its decision to fine Portelli and condemning his threats to take legal action against its members.
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