Ex-Sea Malta chairman testifies in libel case against minister

Former Sea Malta chairman Marlene Mizzi yesterday explained in court how she felt libelled when, in an interview published on The Times, IT and Investments Minister Austin Gatt alleged she had squandered public funds.

Ms Mizzi testified before Magistrate Michael Mallia in the libel proceedings she initiated against Dr Gatt over comments he made in an interview entitled No Prospects For National Shipping Line, published in The Times on July 1.

Ms Mizzi said she felt libelled by that part of the article in which Dr Gatt replied to a question as to whether she had squandered public funds when she chaired Sea Malta.

She explained that the journalist's question must have been triggered by a comment passed by Dr Gatt in Parliament.

"I knew that I could not take action against him for that, since what is said in Parliament is covered by privilege, so I invited him to say is outside Parliament, which he did," she said.

Ms Mizzi said that in The Times interview, Dr Gatt had led readers to believe she had in fact squandered funds. This, she said, was a very serious accusation especially because she occupies several directorial posts and her directorial career was at stake.

She said she had resigned from Sea Malta in July 2005, and the line's annual report of her last year as chairman showed a profit of Lm250,000. Sea Malta's accounts had always been available for Dr Gatt to see and, when she was chairman, he never drew her attention to any wrongdoing.

She was never questioned as to any squandering of funds, so much so, that when she handed in her resignation the Prime Minister had asked her to stay on, Ms Mizzi added.