Car importer calls on man to stop abusive actions

A car importer yesterday called on a man to stop his slander by handing out leaflets with defamatory content about the company.

UCIM Company Limited filed a judicial protest in the Civil Court holding Stefan Xuereb liable in damages and calling on him to stop his abusive actions immediately.

The company claimed it had sold a car to Xuereb some three years ago, and that from that time on, Xuereb had not stopped persecuting the company with totally unfounded allegations.

Xuereb had engaged a number of lawyers and had consulted with various consumers' associations but had never instituted judicial proceedings against the company.

UCIM added that this was because Xuereb was aware that his claims against the company were unfounded.

Xuereb was instead using defamatory tactics against the company and was trying to blackmail the company to obtain some payment.

UCIM added that between June 21 and 22, in the night, Xuereb had abusively and illegally distributed a number of leaflets at the company's showroom at Birkirkara.

These leaflets contained a copy of a protest that Xuereb had filed against the company, as well as newspaper reports on the protest.

The leaflets constituted defamatory material according to law and UCIM was entitled to file proceedings against Xuereb for damages.

Furthermore, during the inauguration of the Malta International Trade Fair, Xuereb had affixed a large number of these leaflets to cars parked at the fair grounds.

This totally illegal action on Xuereb's part constituted a criminal offence, UCIM claimed, and it had already requested the police to file proceedings against him.

Dr Joseph Caruana Scicluna signed the protest.