Ex-ministers win €10,500 each in libel case
Two former government ministers were yesterday awarded a total of €21,000 in libel damages.
Louis Galea and Ninu Zammit filed their writs against Frans Ghirxi as editor of L-Orizzont claiming that they had been libelled by an advert published in the newspaper on April, 19, 2001 under the heading Il-Ħbieb tal-Ħbieb".
Mr Ghirxi pleaded that the notice was fair comment and political criticism and was not libellous.
Dr Galea and Mr Zammit claimed the notice was libellous for it depicted them as being connected with a person who had been convicted of drug trafficking. As a result, the notice maliciously gave the impression that the plaintiffs were connected with drug trafficking.
Mr Justice Gino Camilleri pointed out that the photo that had been published in conjunction with the notice showed Ciro Del Negro who had been convicted of drug trafficking.
The conviction had taken place shortly before the publication complained of and so it was fresh in the mind of the average reader. The photo, together with the caption, indicated that the former ministers were involved in drug trafficking. There was therefore no doubt that the notice was libellous.
In conclusion, Dr Galea and Mr Zammit were awarded €10,500 each in damages.
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A. Mizzi
Feb 3rd 2009, 19:00
@J. Martinelli You either have quite a short bouts of memory loss not to remember and comment on the Two PN journalists, Jean Pierre Debono and ‘Il-Mument’ editor Victor Camilleri, who were sentenced to pay €6,000 each for publishing a libelous and false report on Labour MP Silvio Parnis and of course the classic libel cases won hands down by Dr. Alfred Sant on Dr. Eddie Fenech Adami. I fail to remember if you did comment on these libel Mr. Martinelli?
c.camilleri
Feb 3rd 2009, 17:10
@ c zammit . Why should they? What have others who won similar awards done with the money? What did A Sant do with the money he won from Dr. E.F.A.? The awards for libel damages should be increased to serve as a deterrent for those who indulge in staining one's good reputation. 9 yrs for just a libel case is too much. It is a shame. Many of us will not be here to see the results of the libel cases instituted before the last election. The people insists with our Minister for Justice to remedy this disgraceful situation.
C Zammit
Feb 3rd 2009, 13:50
Will these two gentlemen be passing there awards to Charity?
J Martinelli
Feb 3rd 2009, 13:24
Good for Louis Galea and Ninu Zammit.
How many more libel suits of this type to go yet?
L-orizzont will have to hold a telethon to raise funds to pay the fines.
A. Mizzi
Feb 3rd 2009, 12:58
@ J. Borg
That will be the day. refund of part of the compensation refunded by ex P.N. Ministers not being re-elected.
A far cry from steps taken by President Obama on his first full day in office with pay freeze for White House employees earning more than $100,000 a year, the move sending a message to a nervous country: We're in this together.
J. Borg
Feb 3rd 2009, 12:17
Great, so will they refund part of the compensation that Dr. Gonzi unilaterally gave them out of OUR pockets, simply because voters decided to kick them out?