Auctioneer ordered to pay libel damages

An auctioneer was yesterday ordered to pay Lm400 in libel damages after a court found that a letter entitled Fake Malta Paintings published in The Sunday Times in July 2003 was libellous.

Magistrate Michael Mallia delivered this judgment in the case filed by Reno Spiteri against Albert F. Santucci.

The court heard that in 2002 and 2003 a number of false watercolours and paintings purportedly by famous local artists were in circulation. Mr Santucci had written a letter about this for publication in The Sunday Times and had mentioned Mr Spiteri as being the artist who had painted these pictures.

Mr Santucci told the court that he had been approached at an auction by a man who introduced himself as Reno Spiteri. This man, who lived in London, had asked Mr Santucci to do business with him, but the latter refused.

However, in the course of the libel proceedings, Mr Santucci said that Mr Spiteri was not the same person who had approached him at the auction.

Following this, Mr Santucci had written an apology to Mr Spiteri which was carried in The Sunday Times last year. Although Mr Spiteri accepted this apology, he insisted upon claiming libel damages.

Magistrate Mallia said that Mr Santucci had acted correctly when he had published his apology as soon as he realised that Mr Spiteri was not the person who had approached him. However, Mr Santucci ought to have checked his facts before publishing the letter.

The court said that Mr Santucci had acted in an honest manner and as a gentleman, and as a result, the damages awarded to Mr Spiteri were set in the sum of Lm400.