Libel suit dismissed

A libel suit filed by Richard Matrenza against in-Nazzjon was yesterday dismissed by Mr Justice Geoffrey Valenzia in the Civil Court.

Matrenza, a former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, filed his libel suit against then editor Joseph Zahra and journalist Joe Mikallef.

Matrenza felt libelled by an article published on January 7, 1999 entitled "£1,687 f'lozor u xugamani", written by Mikallef and accompanied by Matrenza's photo superimposed on official documents of the Maltese High Commission.

Matrenza claimed the article damaged his reputation for it depicted him as a person who wasted public funds capriciously on unnecessary purchases.

He declared that the article was unfounded and requested the court to condemn defendants to pay him libel damages.

But defendants pleaded that they had published facts that were substantially true and that were in the public interest.

The article also included the author's opinion that the expenditure was exaggerated.

Mr Justice Valenzia noted that Matrenza had spent £1,687 on sheets and towels and this was confirmed by witnesses from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Defendants pleaded that they wished to inform the public that the Maltese High Commission in London had spent £1,687 on sheets and towels and they believed the expense was unjustified.

Mr Justice Valenzia found that the article contained fair comment consisting in the author's opinion, expressed graphically and in a prominent manner.

This article was within the acceptable limits of freedom of speech, and was not found to be malicious.