Labour Party general secretary Jason Micallef yesterday was awarded €2,005 damages after a court ruled that an opinion piece that appeared in The Times two years ago was libellous.

The article, entitled Red-Eyed Boys, Tourists And A Chapel, written by Eddie Aquilina, was published on September 6, 2007 and had incorrectly reported what Mr Micallef had actually said during a social activity organised by shadow minister Charles Buhagiar, the court said.

In a recording played in court, Mr Micallef was heard saying:

"... li ser ikun gvern tal-Maltin u l-Għawdxin kollha. Hawnhekk qegħdin bejnietna, mela le, ser inkunu gvern tal-Laburisti" (... that will be a government for all the Maltese and Gozitans. Here we are between ourselves; of course, we will be a government for Labourites).

Mr Micallef argued that Mr Aquilina had misquoted him, attributing to him the words: "...expect me to tell the truth now, which is not exactly what I say when I am in public" and "Labour will be a government for Labourites".

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera said that on hearing a recording of the speech it was evident that Mr Micallef had not said what Mr Aquilina had reported him as saying and this was defamatory.